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In 1977, Marc Rubin made the greatest contribution to Fine Art since Georges Seurat invented and defined Pointillism in 1873. Marc Rubin defined and created the first work in his invention, Synchronism. Synchronism was in practice but never as a genre. The bold color and contrast of Marc Rubin’s works are derived from Seurat’s color principles which are the foundation of all modern art. Marc Rubin continues to produce works in styles which define him as a truly unique artist.
Intentional Fine Art: Timeless, combining two or more styles from the current timeline or any previous age into harmonic balance. Marc Rubin has used Synchronism combining Post Impression, Cubism and Abstract Expressionism.
Artwork by Marc Rubin, A World Diverse Artist Commissions Invited www.MarcRubin.com
Birth 1 Cubism expresses the character of the character from the inside as well as the outside.
Jean Debuffet shared with Marc Rubin in Paris,
“For any artist, when the child within dies, so does the art.” Marc Rubin shared with other artists,
“Cubism expresses the character of the character from the inside as well as the outside.”
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“Chicago” 4’ x 6’ feet, Cubism, commissioned in 1975. The work envisions Chicago as a woman, depicted as the Biblical Eve, reaching out over Lake Michigan from the Chicago skyline at Oak Street and Michigan Avenue. Eve reaches for the only two choices presented by the city, a serpent of sin and the sun as an apple, representing good and evil. The influence of Marc’s friendship with Abstract Expressionist Jean Dubuffet is apparent in the rounded geometric shapes and use of black lines. Although Marc’s earliest abstract works show direct influences of Piet Mondrian’s Curvilinear Cubism and the yellow, red, blue color balance of Pointillist Georges Seurat, the influenced whimsy of Jean Dubuffet transforms the harsh reality of the artist’s message into a playful thought.
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Art Movement Futurism (Cubo-Futurism) The camera which had caused French painters to augment realism to do what photography could not had a growing influence on what we now call Modern Art. Beginning in 1908 some Italian painters sought to create their own art style movement that had its painting technique roots in the new French styles of art called Post Impressionism, Fauvism and Cubism. They called their new style Futurism. They were soon joined and embraced by some Russian artists.
Umberto Boccioni “Dynamism of a Speeding Horse”
Futurism is a style that integrates the painting techniques of Cubism and Divisionism (Pointillism - Fauvism - Post Impressionism). The Futurists did something new. They depicted the unseen like the wind, a person actually running, music and the motion of light. They embraced the new ideas of a new modern art that was defined by French painters George Seurat, Henri Matisse and George Braque in the 1890's to the very early 1900's. Futurist works are depictions and sculpture in which nothing is motionless. Later in the 1920's Progressive DADAists tried to grab Futurism for themselves and attempted to redefine the style to incorporate the communist political doctrine but failed miserably. The best examples of Futurism then and now are still dynamic works of Fine Art. It is the imaginative playfulness of such works that can be found in nearly all works of Modern Art today. How often have you heard someone say,"that piece has great movement"? Futurism has added a dynamism to art which brought us Comic Books and Animation.
Gino Severini “ The Sea is a Dancer” 1914
Giacomo Balla - Abstract - Speed and Sound 1913 Artist Marc Rubin was infatuated with Futurism during a period in his formal training that encompassed Post Impressionism, Fauvism and George Braque’s invention, Cubism. Whether Rubin makes use of brush stroke techniques or composition shapes movement is always apparent in his works. Rubin says, “The depiction of movement is necessary to achieve successful story telling in most forms of modern art. From its roots, Post Impressionism employed visual motion. I join with the Fauves and the Futurists to carry forward dynamic art that is an integral part of our, always in motion, modern civilization.”
Natalia Gonchar, “Cats”” 1913 4
A series of works by Rubin that depict Music, Sound & Light.
“Santa Fe Jazz” 1980
“Prizma Light” 1978
“A Musical Stillife” 1994
MarcRubin.com commissions invited
"Morning Sun" 42� x 72� Pointillism 2013 6
"At The Lily Pond" 50” x 122” combining Post Impressionism, Cubism and Expressionism 1977
"Reaching For Life" 22” x 28” Surrealism (Marc Rubin’s first painting on stretched canvas - acrylic) 1969
Back Cover "Boca Canal Sunbather" 48” x 60” Synchronism / Pop Cubism acrylic on canvas 2013
DIRTT Environmental Solutions
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Doing It Right This Time
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Been there… Done that? A member of the Vigore staff had a curiosity about past life regression and contacted - Janice Hayes. Vigore would like to share Janice’s letter with the readership of Vigore. What do you think? Where do you stand on this idea? I was standing on the edge of a field or pasture. The sun was in its afternoon phase, leaving the air still and warm and rather golden. I was with a friend, Jean, and our 8 year old conversation was typical of 8 year old girls. That is to say, it was nothing special and I don’t recall any of the words we shared. All of a sudden, I had a strong feeling of having stood on the edge of a field like that “somewhere else” and with someone else, not Jean but another girl. I felt that the still, warm and golden air was filled with peace and serenity and knew that the peace and serenity were very, very special.
The feeling of familiarity in an unfamiliar place
is not an uncommon experience. Called déjà vu, the phenomenon of experiencing vivid sensations of having been somewhere or done something exactly like the moment you are in. You just can’t remember when. For those of us who have had those feelings, they are unmistakable and not at all the product of imagination. They are spontaneous, instantaneous and leave as quickly as they arise. Yet, even as they leave, we know they bear some importance and they reverberate for a while within us. We just don’t know why they feel important.
There is a possible explanation of why and it
involves an idea that at least 25-40% of the world’s population embraces; an idea that can explain a great deal of our proclivities, preferences, biases, ideas, fears and joys as well as our déjà vu experiences. It’s called by many names, including the rather hefty “Transmigration of the Soul”, but the most common term is reincarnation.
Two or three years after that déjà vu
experience, I heard for the first time the term “reincarnation.” The very sound of it captured me and I rushed to a dictionary to find out the meaning. I was astonished and for the first time in my young life, things made sense to me. We get recycled! We get another chance! We get a “do-over”!
Fast forward now. I am a young woman, married with a young daughter. A friend and I had been exploring subjects that were not commonly accepted then, in the 70’s, things like meditation, energy healing (called laying-on of hands), and reincarnation. One day, she made the daring challenge: why don’t I let her take me into a past life? Why not, I thought. I lay down, got comfortable, and listened to my friend encourage me to go back, back, back. Back to another time and place. An entire life unfolded inside my mind like a movie, but one that I could almost smell and hear it was so real to me. Was I Cleopatra? Napoleon? A great Greek orator? A princess or king or queen? None of the above. I was a daughter of a landowner in Wales in 1644.
déjà vu
We had some money and stature, but nothing grand. Other families cared for the crops and animals and we certainly directed their efforts, but I was not dripping with jewels nor promised to a mighty leader. Mary Katherine was my name—I couldn’t be plainer. But there was a young boy my age on a neighboring estate. Occasionally, he would ride his pony to our lands and before my delighted eyes, he and his pony would do magical things. They were as one and I thought him the most wonderful boy in all the world. I remember his eyes so clearly. They were astonishingly blue, deep and bright at the same time. We eventually married and had one child, a daughter. When the child was 7, my husband was called by the King to a war. He was not happy about it, but left to do his duty. He never returned. I, unable to direct the flow of our farm and crops and lands and filled with misery missing him, lost all will to live and died face down on a floor covered with straw from some kind of lung disease. I do not know what happened to the child.
That past life has been amazingly
informative for me throughout my life. Obviously, the main thing about the life was that I gave up. I was young enough, smart enough, but I gave up, surrendered my abilities to my misery and died. In my present life, my biggest challenge has been to stand on my own two feet and use my strengths and abilities with or without a relationship. The lesson of the former life has been put to rest in this one.
Learning to solve our lessons is what I consider to be the major gift of exploring past lives. Yet, in addition, discoveries of such lives serve to give us an expanded view of ourselves. Did you live before this life? In my worldview and experience the answer is yes. Can you access those memories? Again, yes. Helping others experience past lives through regression is now part of my life work. These excursions into the past have helped people to resolve current issues, understand a fear or phobia such as a fear of heights, realize that a past trauma is coloring their current choices, and so much more. It feels good to discover that you make sense, that you aren’t a random set of ideas, fears or complexities. It’s nice to know that you have continuity, are integral, and there are reasons for everything. We’ve all been there and done that. Janice Hayes is an experienced intuitive counselor, spiritual teacher, and RoHun therapist. Janice Hayes is on staff at Delphi University in McCaysville, GA, an alternative school of spiritual studies. She can be reached at janice33@janicehayes.com.
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wisdom
Why is there Prejudice: “ It is often felt that there are those who do not like certain characteristics about other Beings, so in their dislike of those characteristics, they are responsible for prejudice. It is not only the doing of the one who is accused of being prejudiced, but rather more often, the one who feels discriminated against is the most powerful creator in the experience. The Being who feels that others do not like them, for whatever reason, whether it is religion, race, gender, or social status ... No matter what the reason is that they (he or she) feels that they are being discriminated against, it is their attention to the subject of the prejudice that attracts their trouble.� -Abraham
Inspiration INSPIRATIONAL WORDS is a scheduled feature in Vigore Chicago. Amateurs and professionals can submit works to appear in print or online to be highlighted in subsequent issues. Send Vigore your words. Vigore (vee-gor-ray: vigor, vitality) www.vigorechicago.com
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V Special Interest
RISING STAR on the FASHION scene Jessi is Evolve Evolve is a personal and editorial wardrobe
styling company in Chicago. Jessi and her staff are professionally trained stylists with a passion to help men and women look their best. They translate scattered style into a cohesive, attractive whole. Starting with what you have, Evolve can re-focus your wardrobe on up-to-date silhouettes that compliment your body shape, personal tastes and lifestyle. By adjusting your basic wardrobe with brand-aligned quality pieces, you will gain confidence with your new style. Getting dressed is more enjoyable when you don't have to do all the work. Evolve keeps up with current brands and designers creating stunning ready-to-wear looks that fit your personality, budget and lifestyle.
Jessi Sheehan Founder/Wardrobe Stylist Evolve P: 312.919.3898 E: jessi@evolvechicago.com www. evolvechicago.com
Jessi has been styling for 6 years and is the Founder of Evolve. She has an Apparel Merchandising Degree and Fashion Design Certificate from Indiana University. During her career she worked on the Oprah show and in association with Tim Gunn. She also worked with Jillian Lewis, from Project Runway, to produce two of her presentations for New York Fashion Week. Jessi is a style expert on the local Fox television Good Day Chicago morning show and on WGN TV. She recently styled Eva Longoria for the cover of Hispanic Executive Magazine and styled Jeff Mauro for seasons 4 and 5 of Sandwich King on Food Network. Some of her work has been featured in Chicago Social Brides, Modern Luxury, Northshore, Time Out Chicago, Status, Vogue Italia, Daily Candy, WHERE Chicago, Design Bureau, Hispanic Executive and ALARM.
Photographer: Robert Beczarski Model: Emily Doyle, Ford Makeup: Aga Kaskiewicz Hair: Juan Jose Herrera Styling: Jessi Sheehan Wardrobe: Edith Hart Jewelry: Rebecca Zemans
BATTA GLIA F
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Shoes
“The perfect shoe can change your life.”
It’s hard to imagine a life without shoes. For many of us, yes I mean women, life would not be worth living without that final decision of which pair to wear before stepping out into the world. After all, a perfect pair of shoes can change your life, Cinderella. But women haven’t always had the comfort and luxury of that closet full of footwear to make our ensemble complete. It seems that until four thousand years ago, everyone went barefoot.
The first shoes were made of a single piece of rawhide and enveloped the entire foot. Many women may currently have that same shoe in their closet. They were worn for both warmth and protection. Today, women rarely consider warmth and protection when making a shoe purchase. Sandals originated in warm climates where the soles of the feet needed protection, but the top of the foot needed to be cool. Did they have sandals in eighteen different colors back then? I think not. In Europe pointed toes on shoes were fashionable from the 11th to the 15th century. Ah, the pointed toe, which brings us to another fact, that many people already know; sixty-two percent of shoe wearers say their feet hurt. The other forty-four percent must be men. In the Middle East heels were added to shoes to lift the foot from the burning sand, which is how the love/hate relationship with high heels began. We thought this next trend started with the new millenium, but in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries heels on shoes were always red. Throughout the world, each pair of shoes were made identical for both feet, until left and right footed shoes where first made in Philadelphia. In Europe, it wasn’t until the 18th century that women’s shoes were different from men’s. Six-inch-high heels were worn by the upper classes in seventeenth-century Europe. Two servants, one on either side, were needed to hold up the person wearing the high heels.
-Cinderella
Boots were first worn in cold, mountainous regions and hot, sandy deserts where horseriding communities lived. Now we wear our boots with short-shorts and tank tops. Heels on boots kept feet secure in the stirrups. In the Middle Ages a father passed his authority over his daughter to her husband in a shoe ceremony. At the wedding, the groom handed the bride a shoe, which she put on to show she was then his subject. Today, in the U.S., shoes are tied to the bumper of the bridal couple’s car. This is a reminder of the days when a father gave the groom one of his daughter’s shoes as a symbol of a changing caretaker. In China, one of the bride’s red shoes is tossed from the roof to ensure happiness for the bridal couple. In Hungary the groom drinks a toast to his bride out of her wedding slipper. It is a possibility that this is allowed only because the bride knows she will never wear that pair of shoes again. The average increase in the protrusion of a woman’s buttocks is 25% when she wears high heels. The average American adult woman shoe size is 8. In 1986, 12% of American women had shoe sizes 9.5 and higher, but in 1998, 30.4% of all women’s shoes sold were size 9 and above. Current statistics may be depressing. Either womens’ feet are getting larger, or their feet hurt so bad that they finally have to buy the correct size.
Fifteen percent of the female population has over thirty pairs currently in their closets, a statistic that could be contested as too low, and a fact well hidden from the significant other. Also, thirty-three percent of women have trouble finding the room to store all of their shoes.
On average, women purchase four pairs of shoes per year, at an average cost of $277 per year.
This could be contested. 97% of women say that their shoe shopping has never created any financial problems. However, one survey indicates that 13% have hidden at least one shoe purchase from their significant other.
Artwork by: Lindsey Kate "Woman's Best Weapon" Lindseykatemeyer@gmail.com 16
Michael H. Cooper • 3EP Studios (3rdEye Photography) 1821 West Hubbard, Chicago IL 60622 708-738-2047 mhcooper65@gmail.com www.3epstudios.com www.facebook.com/3epstudio
The Art of Swimming
8 month old infant learning to swim
By Susan Wainscott The art of swimming is like a masterpiece that is created and inspired by someone with vision and passion: a parent, teacher, or coach. Susan Wainscott, founder and CEO of Swimtastic Swim School, compares the creation of this masterpiece to putting together a thousand-piece puzzle. Like each corner of a puzzle or the four corners of a swimming pool, the foundation for success begins with four key pieces: a 90 degree warm-water pool, professional teachers, small class sizes, and individual attention. Susan and her husband Barrett have provided this foundation for twentyfive years, teaching thousands of infants and children the art of swimming. They have taken Swimtastic from their backyard pool to a franchise brand, and over the past ten years they have owned and operated two indoor, year-round swim schools in the Milwaukee area. As Susan explains:Nature provides the first piece of the puzzle; an infant’s innate ability at birth to hold his/her breath underwater. Beginning at the age of six months, every skill we teach focuses on breath control. An infant learns to hold his breath during our water adjustment phase, as we gently squeeze a water-filled wash cloth over the baby’s head and face. Then, with the first dip of facial immersion, we teach the infant to increase his breath hold from one second, to three and then five and beyond. When a committed parent faithfully brings his baby to the once a week program, we can often teach him to swim before he learns to crawl or walk. This paints a clear picture that infant swimming is a tremendous activity for parent/child bonding, but it is also a development tool; promoting strength, muscle coordination, safety skills and social interaction, as the child learns to move and swim comfortably and
Awakening
As when an infant discovers his ability to hold his breath underwater, an awakening occurs when a child first learns to swim independently. This is the moment every parent, teacher and child celebrates. It is a gift that every parent treasures and this gift lasts a lifetime. I still hear my son saying, "Hey mom! Look at me!" When an infant kicks through the water and surfaces for a breath, or an Olympic champion glides through the water with beauty, grace, and style, leaving us breathless, an awakening has led to a form of art.
Timing
Born to SWIM:
easier then crawling or walking confidently through the water with precision and expression. This is another important piece of the puzzle and a part of the journey of creating a masterpiece.
Relationships
Relationships are fundamental to any child learning the art of swimming. Whether a parent is giving a newborn a bath or a coach is working with an Olympic swimmer, the parent-child-teacher relationship is another key piece of the puzzle that creates a genuine love for the art of swimming. Effective communication is critical in this relationship. The personality type of the child: eager, terrified, or timid, determines the type of teacher best suited for his needs. It is our hope, that through these relationships, each child will learn to love the water. This leads to the ultimate beauty of swimming; the relationship between the child and the water. Over time, with practice, focus, and determination, the puzzle pieces fit together as the masterpiece begins to take shape
Whether it is marriage, family, or a career change, life is about timing. In swimming, timing is everything. If it’s baby’s bath, a swim class, or the perfection of a skill required to master a swim stroke, timing is another key piece in the art of swimming. As a professional swim teacher, identifying the exact timing for progression at every stage is critical for success. Knowing when to transition a child from bubble blowing with a wand to bubble blowing in the water, from breath holding to exhaling at the surface level, or to underwater swimming, the timing is crucial with even the most basic skills. An individualized approach to the introduction of each new step meets the needs of all our children. The use of proper timing is one of the reasons we have successfully taught so many children the art of swimming. The art of teaching swimming is a gift. It is the art of teaching that puts all the puzzle pieces together and creates a lifelong swimmer and a beautiful masterpiece. Visit Swimtastic at www.swimtastic.com for a location near you or for franchise information. ©Copyright 2011 Susan Wainscott is the Swimtastic Corporation. founder and CEO of All Rights Reserved Swimtastic Swim School
A R T
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BLUE COLLAR
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Artist, Fraser
ART
Artist, Turk
Who do you think of when you think of an art collector? Do you think of yachts and country clubs, golf, champagne and tennis? Or do you think of bowling, beer , sports and NASCAR? While most people think that the world of fine art is dominated by the blue blood crowd, you may be surprised to learn that more and more blue collar folks have learned to appreciate art. While blue collar workers may not have the talent to paint or create and often lack formal art education limiting their ability to express art appreciation in words, that doesn’t mean that they don’t appreciate art. Many local Chicago blue collar art collectors with a careful eye and open mind collect fine pieces of art. What is art? Art conveys intense emotions. Often art reflects the life of the artist. Art is the freedom of thought created in a tangible form. From the blue collar art collector’s point of view, even breathtaking artwork may remain unrecognized by the professional art collector or dealer. While critics may call some art work kitsch—art that is regarded as tasteless, sentimental, or ostentatious in style—art—like beauty—is in the eye of the beholder. An art collection can start with one piece selected for one area in a home growing into a large and diverse collection over the years. Because of that diversity, it may appear that the collector is struggling to find an identifying style. But a careful inspection reveals the back story of each piece of art—the humor, the brilliance it conveys—and the pleasure the collector takes in every one. Water Lilies, a series of 250 painting by French impressionist Claude Monet, may be art to one person and a velvet Elvis may be art to another. In fact, the signature “Dogs Playing Poker,” nine dogs sitting around a card table, may be more recognizable by more people than any work created by the old masters—with the possible exception of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Art—and the artists that create art—are actually fairly modern concepts. Oil paint was first used for Buddhist paintings by Indian and Chinese painters in 20
Afghanistan sometime between the 5th and 9th centuries, oil painting did not gain popularity as a medium for art in the West until the 15th century in Italy. About that time, the Italian artist and biographer Giorgio Vasari first coined the idea of “work of art” Artist, Romine a term that first included only painting, sculpture, and architecture. When works of art were later expanded to include music and poetry, those five arts became collectively known as “the fine arts.” And it was during the Renaissance that “the fine arts” were raised to a loftier perception and Artist, Grabner artists were often afforded a higher social status. They were also considered to be inspired by some higher power not available to the masses. That then is perhaps the basis for the idea that people who appreciate the fine arts are also at some higher level of society. But consider Alfonso Iannelli, the 20th Century sculptor, artist, and designer. According to Tim Samuelson, Chicago’s cultural historian, Iannelli who is best known today by collectors and historians who rank him as a valuable contributor to American art made in Chicago, wanted to create art that people would experience in their everyday lives. According to Sam Guard, Iannelli believed that art is a public creation designed to make all people’s lives better —whether they have blue blood or a blue collar. Every Artwork Tells A Story ...
Artist, Berhardt
Artist, Chojnowski
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HOAX or FACT Political pressure and persecution for speaking about
V Special Interest
nature existed centuries ago as it exist today. The EARTH is FLAT
theory was believed by many cultures around the world including Ancient Egyptian and Babylonian cultures as well as China up to the last few hundred years. The flat Earth theory states that the world is a flat disk rather than a sphere.
Earth as the center of the universe
1984 ... 2013
Global Warming At a Social Good Summit, a man spoke from a stage and attacked companies that don’t buy into his views on the causes of global warming ...
LONDON: Rise of the “Thought Police” Posted on 5 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf “Thought Police” are on the horizon.
He called on the meeting participants to challenge industry and individuals that don’t agree with him ...
Tony Miano, 49, a former senior police officer from the US, was held for around six hours, had his fingerprints and DNA taken and was questioned about his faith, after delivering a sermon about “sexual immorality” on a London street.
He wants “denial” of man-made global warming to be as culturally unacceptable as racism and bias against gays ...
Mr Miano, who served as a Deputy Sherriff in Los Angeles County, said his experience suggested that the term “thought police” had become a reality in the UK.
He urged attendees to challenge denial of climate change in conversations in families and communities and elsewhere. “We can win this conversation and winning a conversation can make all the difference,” He said. “Don’t let denial go unchallenged.” ...
He said he was amazed that it was now possible “in the country that produced the Magna Carta” for people to be arrested for what they say.
He noted how racism and later homophobia have become increasingly unacceptable.
Adding floor art to your living space. This floor art contributor wanted to brighten the entrance hallway and make it more inviting. After discovering the look on the FLOR website (www.flor.com) this person decided to express her creative side. The sale representative at FLOR assisted in the designs with the aid of the instore computer program. Art takes many forms and shapes. This unique shaped angled floor rug accomplishes a custom look on a budget. Carpets squares are cut to shape and connected to accommodate the corner hallway.
before
FLOR is an innovative system of carpet squares cut to shape and connected to create custom rugs.
after
express yourself with confidence and assistance from FLOR www.flor.com
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floor art
MaCherie Bridal Boutique Tom and Cher Hilgardner created MaCherie Bridal Boutique with a vision to take the bridal gown shopping experience to a new level. With Tom as a Personal Life Coach, together this husband and wife team will not only help you discover the perfect custom-made wedding dress, but they will also engage you into a “bigger" conversation about your ideal wedding.
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When planning your wedding, this couple understands there can be pressure from your culture, family and friends and it can be challenging to not lose sight of Your true vision for your wedding. At MaCherie, Tom and Cher have relationships with some of the top wedding vendors in Chicago who can support you in making every part of your wedding express Your Love that you share as a couple. That might mean you do or don't follow tradition or you may do something in your wedding that no one else has ever done, but that completely expresses Your unique Love! With a one-on-one boutique appointment, Tom and Cher are able to fully listen to your desires and help you choose the perfect gown that is fully You, with professional alteration included in your purchase. Visit our website, or contact the studio today to learn more about our exclusive line of wedding gowns and also our wedding partners who can help bring your vision to life.
Tom & Cher Hilgardner 773-888-2258 www.macheriebride.com
AMERICAN
Strikingly
Waterfowl Decoys UNIQUE works of ART
and Charles
The following was compiled from, a Biography of Charles H. Perdew, written by Don Clark, and from a interview conducted by Cay Clark with Mrs. Almira Clark (wife of the author). Originally live birds were used as duck decoys, but for repeated use and controlled placement more and more hunters used wooden decoys. Because of the keen eye sight of the ducks, the decoys needed to be as realistic as possible. Charles H. (Charlie) Perdew, also of Henry, made decoys and duck calls for waterfowlers in Swan Lake and other duck clubs in the area. For fifty years Don Clark was a boat pusher and duck guide for the Swan Lake Duck Club (just north of Henry, Illinois). A boat pusher takes the hunters to the duck blinds, puts out decoys, and calls the ducks in as they fly over so they can be shot in flight as they come into range. Don Clark used Perdew’s decoys and duck calls and later wrote the biography of this extraordinary man. Charles Perdew was born in Putnam County, Illinois on a farm about three miles east of Henry, Illinois on April 30, 1874. He and his brothers helped on the family farm and it was here that he first ventured into decoy making. As a boy of fourteen, he took the side rails off an old rope bed, cut them up in pieces and threw them in a fire to char. He then retrieved the wood, took a drawknife and cut some of the charring away to make Bluebill duck decoys. He used these decoys to shoot ducks near his home, selling them in the Chicago market. Little did he know that this practical endeavor would someday help turn wooden ducks into American folk art that would be in demand by collectors all over the world.
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H. Perdew
Charles Perdew had many talents and many paths to follow before he made a name for himself carving duck decoys. In 1889 Charlie went to Chicago, where he worked as a meat packer and then as a carpenter “to help put together” the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893. He also attended the Chicago Art Institute to study painting. Soon after, he left Chicago and returned to Henry. Among his seemingly endless abilities, Charlie punched cattle, operated a shooting gallery, opened a bicycle shop, sold and repaired guns, and built boats. He farmed, hunted, fished, and trapped. He made his own wooden false teeth and his own eyeglasses, and he began again to make duck decoys. In 1902 Charlie married Edna Haddon of Henry who started painting his duck and crow decoys. Between 1903 – 1909 Charlie perfected his crow call and patented it November 2, 1909. Also during those years he built a new home and shop across the street from their first home. Here Charlie and Edna remained until his death. Together the Perdews worked and watched the decoy business grow. In 1924 Charlie entered a pair of handmade mallard decoys in a decoy contest at Abercrombie & Fitch of New York and won second place for his craftsmanship. The Perdews made and sold thousands of decoys over the years, as many as 300 each season. But Charlie especially enjoyed turning out a decoy for a customer to give for a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion. In the mid 30’s he started making ornamental decoys; miniature and half-size decoys and life size birds of all kinds. Edna Perdew did all the painting until 1941, when she contracted an illness that prevented her from painting
Decoys and duck calls carved during the mid-1800’s to the mid-1900’s are now in demand by collectors and are considered great works of art. Carvers crafted original pieces with precision and attention to detail, greatly increasing their artistic and monetary value in today’s art market. Many sell at prices ranging from $1,500 to $25,000 with extremely rare decoys selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A decoy at auction could demand as high as $125,000 and higher.
Charlie then carved and painted, but because of her unique technique, Mrs. Perdew’s painted decoys eventually became more valuable than those painted by her husband. Charlie used various kinds of tools over the years, many of which he made himself. In later years he used a band saw to cut out the body and head blocks, but it should come as no surprise that Perdew still did the shaping with a worn pocket knife. Both the head and body were given a final sanding by hand, and then of course, hand painted. All of Charlie’s gunning decoys were hollow, but his decorative half-size and miniature decoys were carved from solid wood. During the last 10-12 years of his life, Perdew’s work was decorative only. He made ornamental decoys, duck calls and many species of life-size songbirds but Perdew was never able to keep up with demand since he carved each item by hand. Charles Henry Perdew passed away September 21, 1963 at age 89. As Don Clark wrote in Perdew’s biography, Charlie was “a rugged individualist, a great decoy maker and…a fine American who many people shall is more strikingly American than the decoy”
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EMERGING WRITERS & BOOKS
Ski Way Past The Sign By Mark A. Rudis I ski-hiked to the sign, then too far. The out-of-bounds slopes seen from the Panoramic chairlift for years drew my vision and aspiration into a very steep, untracked cirque formed as an arc, almost a semi-circle, of cornices that grew, captured much of the blowing snow from the prevailing northwesterly winds. The northwesterly, larger, more susceptible-to-breaking-off cornices were jeopardy, avalanche terrain, certain snow slide territory. The smaller, more stable cornice tapering to a terminus at the southwest part of the arc was the goal. There are no official rules for skiing out of bounds other than it is out of bounds and no one from the ski area’s ski patrol is ever going to risk his or her job by going where you and they are not supposed to go. Your risk. Period. Colorado law makes it clear that enjoying its wilderness means you are on your own. You make your own rules regarding weather, equipment, survival strategy, and you alone own your consequences. It’s best to know the lay of the land. Mountain navigation lends itself to a contour system, not a grid system; thus, the hiker/skier/trekker more easily orients on drainages from the peaks and ridges, observes the way water, if present, would drain down a slope. Following a drainage down to a known river or valley floor or up to a known peak is a reliable method of routing. Confidence in the mountains comes not only from topography maps, but from doing the treks, getting lost, and finding the way again by observational skills. Zero Creek, First Creek, Second Creek and so forth are the numbered drainages extending up from the lowest tributaries of the Fraser River to the top of Berthoud Pass. The Fraser River collects the water from these arithmetical creeks, and then flows into the Colorado River. Today was the day. I asked Rupert to partner with me because ordinary survival protocol says don’t go skiing and ski-hiking alone in the backcountry. He declined, and I, being intimate with the solitude and challenge nature can provide, went by myself. Some days are better suited to alpine skiing using the type of ski to which most people are accustomed, viz., a step-in binding and contoured profile for cruising on intermediate slopes or zippering bumps, and other days are better suited to telemark skiing using a ski with bindings that permit the skier to lift the heel while performing a “genuflect” gesture to control turning. Telemark skis, like cross-country skis which permit heel lifting, permit more comfortable and consistent walking movements when hiking over snow for longer distances. The telemark (“telie”) technique is old, predating the stem technique that predominates today’s skiing. Telie skiing is fun, a different kind of athleticism. Today is for telies. The gate into Vasquez Cirque (neighbor to the unnamed cirque above Zero and First Creeks) leads to a hike of twenty-five minutes plus to get to the premier slopes within Vasquez Cirque that are maintained and patrolled by ski patrol. Every thirty yards or so small signs with the universal slashed circle remind hikers that the region to either side of the trail is closed. A little less than half way on the trail, on the left side, is a small unnoticeable sign slightly different than the standard slashed circle
announcing usual warnings of backcountry dangers; this is the marker permitting exit from the ski area into the Vasquez Peak Wilderness, the boundary where both natural law and state law say you are on your own. In the southerly distance is another small sign, a landmark it later turns out, well into the out-ofbounds and, upon leaving the Vasquez Cirque trail, I make it my next stop. The sign’s letters were carved to read Vasquez Peak Wilderness, but it is now so weather beaten and wind worn that the relief on the old board is barely definable. I take a picture of the sign, look around, see tracks from a skier no older than a day that look like they are going in the right direction, and, being unfamiliar with the way to get to the Zero Creek drop-in (the made up name of the prominent feature visible in the distance from the ski area), I figure, great, unexpected help. The lay of the land was different than those perspectives observed from the chair lift or from the gate or from standing inbounds and looking out, but still familiar. This subtle clue of how to navigate mountains was key, but I, having spent decades hiking in the mountains, thought pleasantly but not analytically of terra nova, and merely enjoyed the mind trick of new perspectives on a view of slopes and contours seen a thousand times before. I hiked in a circumnavigation of a shallow summit. The slope of the trail, and now absence of trail, had been such that hiking was required in the shuffle step associated with telemark skis. Now the ground slightly descended so I could start to glide and I viewed somewhat steeper terrain ahead and thought hiking was done, skiing was here. Having circumnavigated about ninety degrees of arc around the shallow summit, I thought I must be getting close. The beauty of my surroundings and the mild-but-embraced fear of going into terra incognita energized me and in a way anesthetized my mind so even though I actually had hiked/glided a mile or more, the feeling was that I had only gone several hundred yards. It was looking great! A couple of lowrider turns on the telies, then a stop to make reconnaissance. Hmmm. Nowhere close to Zero Creek drainage or even First Creek drainage - this looked more like Second Creek or even Third Creek. Returning to Zero Creek, if possible at all, would require a tight, high traverse back to the north.
The slow slog back began and the possibility of regaining enough elevation to make the drop-in at Zero Creek appeared less and less likely. Arriving closer, looking up, dismayed at missing the goal, I estimated I stood more than one hundred feet below the Zero Creek drop-in, on a ridgeback that extended down parallel to the drainage. The snow, a concoction of crushed ice/snow cone textures that had become hard and massive, looked terribly loose and prone to sliding. I measured the possibility of dropping into Zero Creek drainage from this lower outpost on the ridgeback, but thought it would be safer to have dropped in where planned because there were two sets of tracks there from the previous day that, in a way, certified the snow was stable. The area surrounding the tracks showed no evidence of sliding or breaking, so, ipso facto, it was safe. But by me, safety was only a mental construct because the evidence suggested otherwise. I stared down the ridgeback to the next, then next again possible drop-ins – each looked the same dismaying gravidness prone to sliding. A mental debate of three possibilities: hike up by side-stepping to the originally planned drop-in, or, traverse back to Second Creek, or, continue down the ridgeback and hope for the best. Decided: down the ridgeback, toward the dwarf trees that delimit the edge of tree line. (Tree line is a funny phenomenon: it occurs at different elevations around the world. Here in north central Colorado tree line happens at about 11,300 feet.) Cruising down, drifts had built up of varying height and steepness along the ridgeback. Skiing over or around the drifts above tree line, and then below tree line among dwarf trees was fun. I studied a potential drop-in back into a lower section of Zero Creek from several feet away of a cliff’s edge, not close enough to get a good look to see whether the slope was a clear shot into the drainage, a drop in elevation of maybe two hundred feet or so. I took a step toward the edge and then stopped with an abrupt thought. If this is a cantilevered cornice and not a cliff edge, and I step to the cornice edge and it breaks, then I’ll involuntarily end up in the drainage with a ton of snow on top of me. But how can I know if I don’t look? Or don’t look and move on? Survival mode kicked in and intruded on my fun, and despite no luck finding a suitable drop-in that would lead me back into Zero or First Creek, respect for potential breaks of cornices was the right attitude. I move on, leaving the ridgeback with its attendant cliffs above, and I ski gentle terrain that drains in the near distance toward to a knoll, a crown with a steepness radius that becomes even steeper as it opens into a bowl below. Nice looking. I had skied into favorable terrain. Though this slope-into-bowl surely would take me away from preferred Zero or First Creek, the egress by way of Second Creek or Third Creek would be exciting because: 1) I had never seen it from the top looking down, and 2) it would lead me to the highway only another mile or so up from where Zero Creek or First Creek, my familiar intended egresses, met the highway. Thus, this good-looking bowl would lead to an equivalently good though farther away egress made attractive by celebrated large rock faces along the way. Either way required a hitchhike back to my car once I reached the highway. Because the crown of the slope increases in steepness, I plot out a mental line to ski to the bottom of the bowl. As I stand near the top of the crown, just a few arc degrees below, and while mentally mapping, I nonchalantly traverse a few feet to change 32
my angle of view for no reason other than completing a view as one might complete a thought. Then, I feel it, a butterfly in the stomach coupled with an un-weighting through my legs, simultaneously as I hear it, a sound that was like gently biting into a snow cone. A snow slab had broken beneath my feet, and slid, moving me with it. Only a few feet later it stopped. An avalanche. I am standing on top of it. I am scared to death. Singular thought – death. I was on my feet, standing upright, was I? The slab measured approximately, irregularly about twentyfive-by-thirty yards in surface area, and maybe a couple of feet thick. I gingerly without thinking take steps upwardly and perpendicular to the sloping crown, over the tear in the snow and small crevasse created at the border of the broken slab. Several yards beyond the slab I had just stepped off of, I feel it and simultaneously hear it again. Another slab beneath me had broken loose and slid moving me with it adjacent to the first slab, and stopped after sliding only a foot or so. Scared to death. The singular thought of death now brought with it an ancillary thought – there is no escape. I repeat my delicate walk upwardly and perpendicular to the slope of the crown, over the mini crevasse, onto new snow and then I feel it and simultaneously hear it again – a remembered sound of teeth biting gently into a snow cone, another slab, smaller, had broken beneath me. Death, no escape. Am I ready to die? I guess so. It is my time, don’t fight it, accept it. I “see” death with any next few steps. So I stand still. Once I accept imminent death, it turns out, I start to think of a strategy. Figure this out. Death thoughts cloud the mind. How to escape, think!? Well, can’t just stand here, so I shuffle toward a rock outcropping, almost an arête, determined to stand on the rock, an island of safety, until I figure this out. A final few steps, another small slide and snow-cone sound, and I feel the rocks gouge into the bottom of the skis signaling safety for now. I think hard. No ideas coming, no avalanche equipment, not beacon nor shovel nor inflatable avi pack. Observe the lay of the land. Escape means stepping onto the slope on either side of the rock outcropping into the bowl; all surrounding snow looks like it will slide. Lesson 101 of the avalanche is now learned because, standing within it, I see how one works. Recent slides all around me and in front of me, I study each of them. How could I not have seen these before!? Can I figure this out…. Retreat by hiking up and back to my point of entry into the wilderness is not possible because it would take many hours, well into night, with no confidence that the snow above was any more stable than the snow surrounding the rock outcropping. Failure right, left, above and probably below. What a conundrum: the analytical mind meets survival instinct, both rally, but neither disposition has a potential solution. No retreat upward, so … walk on rocks, stop and figure. Side slip along rocks. The depth of snow near the rocks appeared shallow. Thus, if progress along the side of the rocks while side-slipping produced a mini-avalanche - no problem because I could leap/fall back onto the rocks and the snow should be insufficiently deep. I moved onto the snow, and the method worked until the island of rocks ceased, and there was more bowl-of-snow beneath me. This snow field all around looked like it could avalanche. But, it had to be crossed, whether sideways or down.
A long pause to make reconnaissance. Trees stood downhill one hundred or so yards away along the far side of the bowl. Beneath my rock island, I side-stepped directly below and knocked down small slabs (small snow-cone sound), no bigger than twice the size of my ski length, and repeated the process downward until about ten such small slabs had settled above me. The knocked-down snow directly above me looked stable and not too deep. I figured it was time to ski the remainder of the slope into the bottom of the bowl in one straight shot. At the bottom there was no potential for avalanching – right? It must be so, I thought, because when one adds up the masses and the vectors, the bottom looks benign. Anyway, time to get there, and then plan the next step to get to the trees to skier’s rightside along and below the bowl. I take a straight line down. Another field-sized slab breaks beneath me, and though there is no significant slab sliding because I’m close to the shallow-angled bottom of the bowl, in my panic while skiing at a moderate speed consistent with wet,
Damn, should have prepared the distribution of my property and money to them by will or trust so they won’t need Probate court. It would have been so easy to have prepared any kind of testacy documents myself. I apologize out loud to them. The bowl’s bottom narrows to a small two-tiered valley, rocky with small trees on the high side, a clear sloping trail on the lower. The trees, now closer, reveal a proper mature forest. I yearn to be there as it appears safe. Blocking my way is a short cliff, maybe eight-to-twelve feet high, which I just want to ignore as this is the kind of gentle cliff in good ski conditions that easily can be jumped. The same doubts as above immobilize me. But, shallower slope means less potential energy in the slope. This thought reassures a bit. Hmmm. A straight line shot to the trees seems best. Ready, go, drop, ski, and a tense few seconds. I cross the threshold of the trees and calm down. The road is still a couple of miles away, and the small increasing sense of security in the trees feels good and helps thinking. It’s an easy ski through sometimes tight pines with a comfortable slope; gravity does the work and lets my muscles and mind relax. Following the contours of the obvious drainage, I soon leave the trees and emerge into a snow field I must cross below large, one-hundred-plus feet high rock walls, familiar because they are a prominent sight when seen in the distance from the highway. Huge avalanches recently, probably last night, had slid and created debris fields below the walls. Dread. Even though debris fields are stable, I just bear the chill of fear while crossing, as continuing sweat dripped into my goggles, my ski pants already heavy with leg sweat. Once lower in the trees along summertime hiking trails, I just ski-hike, feel safe yet feel afraid to cross small streams not because they’re dangerous, it’s just now I will survive and fear taking a chance, a funny paradox from an hour or so ago. A click sound from the ski bindings starts, and it sounds like it’s gonna break any second. I ignore the sound as I cannot spend mental energy worrying about it – I’ll face that set-back if and when it happens. The terrain flatter, the occasional sounds of the road had been audible for ten minutes. On the road, I walk a mile before a young couple, grad students, picks me up in their Alaska plates’ pick-up truck. The couple is friendly and asks about the area because they had never been before. I respond to questions of our valley, town and ski area in a casual voice, a disconnect from the still racing mind and the body’s animated, adrenaline-dosed exhaustion. When they ask how was skiing today, my voice can only manage that I had been scared to death and it was avalanching a lot up there. © Mark A. Rudis Nov. 4, 2103
heavy spring snow, I fall head first into the snow. The snow just had collapsed beneath my feet, had sunk almost a foot, and the resulting loss of balance caused me to fall head first into the just-created broken, not-quite-knee-high wall of snow in front of me. The slab was sliding on top of me, my mouth full of snow sputtering and spitting, panicking while inverted in a darkish environment, and then … nothing happens but me sputtering and flaying arms. I look up. No slide coming my way, just sun shining nicely during a mostly cloudy day. I flop around like a fish to try to get my feet under me, and then spend minutes clearing out the snow from goggles, neck, sleeves, and hat. I think of my kids, now mostly grown, and miss them terribly.
Chicagoland
AUTHORS & BOOKS
CHICAGOLAND AUTHORS & BOOKS is a scheduled feature in Vigore Chicago. Emerging authors and writers can submit published works to appear and be highlighted in subsequent issues. For submissions visit www.vigoremag.com
Steven Ledell Part II
Steven Ledell If Steven Ledell had stayed on the trajectory his parents had in mind, he would be a musician. Because the family had no money, the only way of achieving the “American Dream� was to attend college on a music scholarship, and since there were several scholarships offered, on a variety of instruments, the decision was made to attend the university that provided the most financial assistance.
Talent does not equate to passion, however, and
once through college, Steven pursued his passion in photography. Though largely self-taught, he has assisted a few commercial photographers including Bruce Lawerance in New York City. So when the time was right to start his own business, it made sense to continue with commercial photography.
Steven main Ledell’s commercial interest has been
Fashion & Beauty Photography and he has had work in many national and international magazines. His clients have included Soft Sheen-Carson.
Steven Ledell Photography 773.780.5678 • sledell.22@gmail.com www.stevenledellphotography.com
How to Thrive in Today’s World Seven Simple Steps to Health and Wholeness By Janice Hayes To say the world is fast-paced, confusing and challenging is the height of understatement. With all the instant messaging and instant news coverage from all over the globe and our own back yards, we are bombarded with the crunch of lives colliding. Opposing viewpoints, objectives, lifestyles and philosophies fill our eyes and ears until our senses become dulled and we no longer feel the warmth of connection or the draw of compassion. Do we call this living? Or are we just surviving? It certainly isn’t thriving. To thrive is to fully engage life through enjoyment, growth, health and well-being. Is that even possible in today’s world? Absolutely, but it takes desire to help yourself and commitment to apply these Seven Steps.
Step 1: Breathe. Breathing is fundamental to all health, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. Breathing is the singular act that anchors us in our lives. When we are afraid, even for a moment, we hold our breath in order to keep the surprise, shock or pain away from us. Freezing our breath never does help, but the cumulative effect of holding our breath is shallow breathing. Shallow breathing limits the body’s functions, placing stress on every cell because the amount of proper oxygen is not available for optimum cell use. In addition, shallow breathing traps us in the emotional/ mental state that occurred when the breathing cessation happened. Those stoppages also affect every cell, further damaging cell function. Stress is a build up of such freezing moments and over time, it kills us. So breathe! Breathe deeply. Inhale until your belly swells outward. Breathe in rhythm such as 6 counts in. Hold for 3. Exhale for 6. Pause for 3 and repeat. Step 2: Be in the Now. An amazing amount of anxiety and stress also arises from an inability to stay in the present moment. We spend a horrific amount of time focused on future events or conditions which have not even happened or in the past which is over and done. Therefore, we are not living. We are walking around and breathing (shallowly) but we are, in terms of thriving, dead. If you stop and ask yourself, “Am I okay right now?” the answer is, more often than you may realize, “Yes”. Bringing your focus to the reality of where you are and what is happening to you in the present moment begins to lift the manhole cover of stress from your body and mind. You can…breathe again!
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Step 3: Count your blessings. In our fast-paced, achievement-oriented, money-based society, the idea of counting blessings feels archaic. It belongs to Grandmother’s era, not ours. We are hip, slick and cool, the epitome of today’s Man and Woman. Well, blessings do abound in our lives and becoming aware of them brings balance to all that forward drive that we exist in. Make a list of blessings and keep adding to them over the course of a week until you become amazed at all the wonderful things, people, events and feelings that are with you all the time. Stop. Breathe. Be in the Now. Count. You can do that in just moments every day. Very quickly, you will notice how you and your attitudes change, your vitality increases, and how those changes have positive effects on those around you.
Step 4: Check your GPS (Goodness Power System) What are you emitting into your environment? Are you spewing anger, fear, mistrust, criticism, judgment and lack? You should be cited for pollution of your life! Where are you in relationship to the goodness that perennially exists for all of us to enjoy? What are you doing to increase true enjoyment, which has nothing to do with spending money, and what are you doing to decrease yours and others’ (remember your family) enjoyment of life? Take responsibility for the life pollution you create and resolve, using the Steps, to bring fresh air, positive thoughts and clear caring into your life.
Step 5: Look ahead, where are you going? If you are on the treadmill of stress, expectations, competition and struggle, it doesn’t take a crystal ball to see where you are going to end up. Possibly six feet under before your time. What are you creating? It also takes no genius or visionary to note that time spent in non-loving attitudes and empty relationships results in a life bereft of true enjoyment, connection, and fulfillment. No one ends up surprised at the way their life turns out if they are honest and pay attention to the kind of path they are creating. Put rocks and stones and hardness in your path and you end up bruised and angry. Put the softness of caring and connecting in healthy ways in your path, and you skip along. It’s your choice, you know.
Step 6: Who do I choose to be? As the last sentence in Step 5 says, your life is all your choice. You choose how you relate to the people, places, events, and things in your life. No one chooses for you. No one can. Only you choose to be whatever you have become. We ignore this in our teens and 20’s, but as we move through the subsequent decades, the choices of how we position ourselves internally becomes more and more impactful, creating patterns of behavior which are hard to break. Have you ever seen a bitter, old, hardened face? You are looking at the results of their choices. Have you seen people filled with light and joy, twinkling eyes and enthusiasm for life? There are the results of their choices, as well. What do you choose?
Step 7: Meditate. There is no other way that truly brings an inner posture of love, kindness, excitement, enjoyment, zest and fulfillment. To meditate brings you into an inner relationship with your highest and best Self. That Self is filled with all kinds of lasting and wonderful qualities, such as wisdom, love, and harmony. Tapping into these great resources brings about positive changes. Your career, your family, your friends will thank you from the bottom of their grateful hearts. And you will become a non-polluting, kind, exciting, successful, thriving human being. Janice Hayes is the creator of the widely acclaimed meditation CD, Journeys in the Garden of the Heart, and the author of RoHun Therapy: The Greatest Transformational Tool of our Time both available on Amazon.com and janicehayes.com. Janice is an instructor at Delphi University, a school of spiritual studies in McCaysville, GA.
Journeys in the Garden of the Heart, The CD is available on Amazon.com and janicehayes.com
janice33@janicehayes.com www.janicehayes.com
Aaron Chang As a force in visually defining the sport of surfing Aaron has pursued his photography to the far ends of the earth. For 25 years, as a senior photographer for Surfing magazine, Aaron was at the core of the surfing world discovering new talent and surf spots on a global scale. Having traveled to 40+ countries in search of the perfect adventure Aaron’s work has graced the covers of over 100 magazines. Aaron Chang has been featured on Fuel TV, PBS, and is currently the subject of a documentary film on surf photographers in the film titled, Lost and Found.
The Ocean Art of Aaron Chang Surfer/SI Swimsuit model Malia Jones duck dices her surfboard under a wave on a offshore reef in Tahiti
Aaron Chang is an internationally acclaimed photographer who is world renowned for visually defining the sport of surfing. Aaron’s intense passion for the ocean fuels his quest for the perfect photo. www.AaronChang.com
The award winning Gallery in Solana Beach, California in the Cedros Design District is home to Aaron’s art. Specializing in large scale fine art prints of Aaron’s best work, the prints are setting new standards in photographic art. Aaron Chang’s mission statement reads: “I seek, through photography, to convey a sense of wonder with the amazing architecture of life. It is my hope that when presented with the beauty of God’s creations, viewers might ponder the gift of life given to us so freely. It is our nature to easily become blinded to this beauty and to forget what a wonder it is to be alive.” Currently residing in Encinitas, CA, Aaron is an active member of his community, both personally and professionally, serving on several boards and contributes to many charities. www.aaronchang.com
“We have to pass the bill (health care) so you can find out what is in it”
Is the Affordable Care Act law a just, fair and balanced law? A large majority of Americans want a way to provide insurance to lower income earners the elderly and the sick. Sixteen words in five seconds demonstrated the current US Administration accountability towards American citizens. The magnitude of the health care challenge dictates through common-sense and intellect, to be open for debate and discussion in order to add value to life. In life as in business, not making a mistake is success. Not making a wrong decision is the right decision. Unknowingly or knowingly designed, unintended or intended results have occurred that effect a great number of Americans.The United States is a country divided and in turmoil created by political powers. The effects of the over 2,000+ pages of the Affordable Care Act will be revealed in time. The good, bad and the ugly. One universal health care program is a difficult creation to cover the diversity of the United States. Consuming one-sixth of the U.S. economy with any program is financially dangerous. Forcing a bill into law with out a careful examination and debate is more dangerous. Politicians passed a bill that became law they did not read, discuss or understand.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions is a proverb or aphorism. An alternative form of the proverb is "hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works". Origin: The saying is thought to have originated with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux who wrote (c. 1150), "L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs" (hell is full of good wishes and desires). An earlier saying occurs in Virgil's Aeneid: "facilis descensus Averno (It is easy to go to hell)". Meaning: One modern interpretation of the saying that is sometimes found, is that good intentions, when acted upon, may have unforeseen bad consequences. An example are the economic policies of the 1920s and 1930s. Intended to be a prudent response to the economic turmoil following World War I and the Wall Street Crash respectively, these were a major cause of the Great Depression and thus eventually of World War II in which millions of people suffered and died. Another example is the introduction of alien species such as the Asian carp, which may become a nuisance due to unexpected proliferation and behavior. Without further debate and adjustments another example might be the Affordable Health Care Act law.
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It’s all connected
PastPresentFuture
What have we learned?
Get government out of health care! Oh, really? How? Eliminate Medicare? No one wants that! And wait - Medicare is the government’s healthcare since 1965. Oh, OK. Let’s eliminate the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)! But wait again. The Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) takes health insurance away from the powerful health insurance lobby and places it in “exchanges”. That sounds like increased marketplace competition. Is it?
Be careful, do not allow emotions block clear judgment or knowledge based on facts. Utopia cannot be forced into existence or purchased at any price or by any means. Words alone do not teach, only life experiences teaches, but it is the combination of experience coupled with words that define and explain that which enhance the experience of learning.
Puzzling? Does the government healthcare pharmaceutical complex deserve a parallel warning to President Eisenhower’s famous warning against the powerful military-industrial complex? Generally, government involvement in business and our daily lives has had both good and bad consequences. The Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act recovered thousands of square miles of forests from acid rain and saved people from breathing disorders common near the steel mills of Gary, Indiana, and Youngstown, Ohio. (Many remember holding their breath while driving through Gary.) However, healthcare legislation does not have a similar track record.
Example, Lasik. In its early years, LASIK was not covered by ordinary health insurance. LASIK providers had to compete for customers. Techniques improved and costs came down. As a result, over time the costs of LASIK have decreased many fold. Hospital services have not seen the same competition nor any cost reductions.
Get it out all at once or incrementally? All at once? Let’s first go back in time to the 1950s during the initiation of such tax subsidies for health insurance, and then let’s go to 1986 and the Tax Reform Act of 1986 making the subsidy complete. Once back in time, let’s vote against IRC 106 which excludes from an employee’s income employer provided accident and health plans, and corresponding IRC 162 granting a deduction to employers. Incrementally? ACA is an effort to get government out of health care incrementally; however, to do so, government is going to get involved in it more than ever. Hmmmmm. However, like most government efforts to cure a problem that it caused itself, it is likely to result in unforeseen consequences, and may turn into its own disaster.
The fundamental problem with healthcare in the marketplace began when the tax code gave a gift to society. Post WWII’s economic boom created an atmosphere wherein well-intentioned-but-misguided legislators believed that social engineering through the tax code was a great idea. In particular, permitting an employer to take a deduction for providing health care to employees, yet exempting the employee from income tax for the receipt of health care was a great social innovation. Right? Well, the marketplace consequences decades later have produced a non competitive health insurance and pharmaceutical marketplace.
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Vigore
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist." - President Dwight Eisenhower. January 17, 1961
The Carla Inwood Story By Carla Inwood
As a young girl, drawing with a neighbor friend was our past time, we would sit for hours designing dresses on our female sketches. I always thought I would be a dress designer until I found out you had to know how to sew. My 10 year old age, claim to fame, was winning a Fire Prevention Contest drawing, the prize was a ride on a fire truck. My first and last I might add. As I progressed thru Junior and Senior High School, I had but one dream and that was to be an artist. The same teacher taught all four years of my High School experience and was not very generous when she graded me. Mostly B's, seldom an A. When in my Junior year, I approached my Art teacher, "Miss Smith" and optimistically asked her where should I go to Art School. Her reply was "Why would you go to Art School, you don't have any talent." Shattered hopes!!! Married young, new baby, stayed home and decided to try the Famous Artist Correspondence Course. Studied, Studied and Studied. I had the knowledge, but not the execution. Met an elderly European Artist, Jean Claude Serre, that changed my life. My first painting was like nothing I had ever done. Eat your heart out Miss Smith. After studying with Mr. Serre for 3 years, he and his wife moved to Florida. I had a dear friend whose 9 yr. old daughter also took lesson from him and asked if I would consider giving her art instructions. I did. Then I got one more, then another one, then adults, finally full classes in my home, 5 days a week. I have never ever solicited, just word of mouth. Still teaching copying. How lucky I am. I have been very active with the Art Institute of Chicago and began to take the Sustaining Fellows trips. They were perfect for a now single woman. Serious Art exposure, private home collections, Museums etc. Sharing lunch with and elderly traveler on the Kansas City trip, I discussed my copying ability. He replied, "Are you any good"? "Of course", I said, he then told of his extensive Art Collection of Chagall's. Botero's and a Picasso also a security issue he had. My Studio in my home 10 years ago, The short version is: I sent him photos of my past L. tot R. Pietre work, started going to California, commuting for Claesz’ “Stillife”, approximately 10 years, reproducing 40 painting Monet’s “Parc of his multi-million dollar art collection. Marceau”, Corot’s “Bridge of Tryst”, and VanGogh’s “Asylum”.
Again, How lucky I am. In between my teaching and California commuting I decide to again expand my " reproduction horizon" by paying to get in the Art Institute and paint in the Galleries. I started with the Impressionists, ( who wouldn't) and stayed there for 17 years. I did 35 paintings ranging from 17th Century Dutch to Picasso. Imagine, I can go to any museum in the world, see a painting, and know that it can be mine. Well, not the original, but who would know? Okay, maybe a curator. See how lucky I am???? If you are interested to see some of my work, you may "Google" Chicago Artist Carla and I come up on top.
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“The Woman in a Fur Hat” By Gretchen Woodman Rogers painted in 1915 and resides at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Other half of my studio, L. to R. “The Song of the Lark”, Monet’s “Waterlilies”, Monet’s “Japanese Bridge at Giverny” and “The Floor Scraper”.
My Client always liked the “Fur Hat “painting as it reminded him of his Grandmother, so he requested I put her face in the painting with intense blue eyes. My client’s grandmother’s photo, taken in 1917
Here is Modigliani’s Leopold Zbrorowski, not sure which is mine.
This is one of the California 30, Chagall’s I painted. The original is on the left. I can only tell them apart by the screw-eyes on the side of the frame.
Scott Taylor Mustangs
commissions invited Scott Taylor Photography 214 Pollock St • Beaufort, NC 28516 252-241-0163 • staylor@clis.com All images copyright Scott Taylor, All Rights Reserved
American MUSTANGS of 15th century Spanish decent wild, free, unbound beauty Endangered with possible extinction Rachel Carson Reserve, NC
Book and fine prints are available for purchase
Emerging Talent - Lindsey Meyer Millennials, also known as Generation Y, work together in the world today with both Baby Boomers and Generation X. One of the most important aspects of this partnership is opportunity. Members of Generation Y are entering the workforce later in life than any previous generation. There are several reasons, one reflects the current expectation of higher education. Attending a college or university upon graduation from high school is often expected. Earning a Bachelor's or preferred Master's degree, can add up to a great deal of debt, and are often rewarded with unpaid internships in the end. Although these can be great learning experiences, they are many times an unrealistic thought for those with living expenses and student loans, so this current economic situation is causing many students to forgo their passions for a less desirable, but “employable� position. Luckily, there are Baby Boomers and Generation X members willing to offer Generation Y's some great opportunities. I believe that they see the assets we posses value in education and new technology, optimism and open-mindedness. Our generation is faced with problems that previous generations never thought to focus on in the past and as a result, we are forced to look at things in new ways. Working together is the greatest form of power we have. Through these opportunities, Generation Y members can continue to pursue their dreams with the hopes of making a difference or following their passion. Having attended college with a major in Fashion Design and minor in Art History, I was often told I was entering into an extremely competitive and unemployable field; however, I didn't let that stop me. I found that one of the greatest benefits while attending Columbia College Chicago were the teachers. Columbia prides itself in hiring teachers that are active in their field with real world experience and advice. This knowledge of the industry is irreplaceable and offers Boomers 1946-1964, great opportunities to 80 million - Most consumer spending succeed. Opportunities Trillions in buying power. Respond such as scholarships, well to print. Print drives them oncontests to be a part of line. Seek health information. shows or features, job Newspapers. Emails. fairs, portfolio reviews, among others were Gen X, 1965-1980, offered quite 50 million - Multichannel marketing. frequently. It was our Entering peak earning. Buying online. job, as students, to Banking online. Online news. accept these Entrepreneurs. opportunities and Gen Y, 1981-1995, challenge ourselves 100 million - Friendship. Viral marto pursue them. keting. Peer recommendations. Social media, online gaming. Beyond college, I have Entertainment. Positive been lucky enough to reinforcement. Texting. continue to both find and be offered Gen Z, 1996-2010, opportunities within 20 million and counting, Very diverse my field. I wanted to population. 2007 largest birth year pursue fashion ever. Technologically savvy.
illustration after graduation, and have made it my goal to be successful at my craft. Accepting opportunities that present themselves is important for me, especially as a freelance illustrator.
Capture your special moment wedding or event with distinctive art created by Lindsey Meyer lindseykatemeyer@gmail.com
Recently, I have been offered article and image space by Vigore Chicago Magazine on my work and to display and sell my art at wine tastings event partnered a Chicago business. I have also been asked to show my design pieces in fashion shows and help out with similar events. These opportunities have the ability to expand my career and audience. Making new connections and pursuing challenges is something that makes me better and this, of course, does not just apply to my career. Within any artistic field opportunities such as these help to grow, are fun and can be endlessly rewarding. Members of Generation Y are also very helpful amongst one another. I have had endless jobs from fellow members of this group, even traveling to Las Vegas with Lock & Loaded to create accessories for NAHA, asked by fellow Alumni to display my work in a gallery show, or having my work photographed for display is always something that is exciting to accept. Whether its working collaboratively with photographers, models, and hair/makeup artists to create conceptually creative photo shoots or gallery directors and art historians, we always learn something from one another. Always taking the opportunity, when asked to do things like this, is something I find very important, as it can always lead to more jobs and more possibilities. Positive opportunities, when accepted, are almost always rewarding. Even if you don't accomplish what you originally set out to, one can learn how to do something better or understand what works well within their practices, while meeting new people along the way. Growing in this way, by working cross-generationally, is rewarding for both parties professionally and personally and will help our world grow in understanding and cooperation. Written by: Lindsey Meyer
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Part II Yikes Bikes Will It Take a Fatality?
Chicago’s blend of commuting options may be creating a perilous environment on city streets. The attempt to promote more bicycles on the streets of Chicago may have created a monster…and that monster is the commuting cyclist! Their blatant disregard for traffic laws is a hazard to other cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. Sadly, this is a fatality waiting to happen. Cyclists have been observed driving in vehicle lanes, weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights, disregarding pedestrians, and signaling for a turn? Forget about it!
Street Talk: WHY DON’T CYCLISTS GET TICKETS FOR DISOBEYING TRAFFIC LAWS? Chicago’s Department of Transportation, along with the mayor’s, office has already begun the implementation of “Streets for Cycling Plan 2020.” This far reaching project includes new and improved bike lanes and striping for 645 miles of city bike paths and even provides bike rental stations throughout Chicago. A noble endeavor, yes, but deeper thought must be given to the increased traffic of cyclists in the city and their interaction with drivers and pedestrians. Even for the casual observer, commuting cyclists show little regard for anyone else on the road.
Street Talk: SHOULD CHICAGO HAVE BICYCLE POLICE? Chicago police officers have recently been observed giving warning tickets to cyclists in heavy bike commuting areas, but that seems to have had little effect. Sadly, it may take serious injury or a fatality to raise the awareness needed for the Chicago community to demand that tickets be given to cyclists who blatantly disregard even the most basic rules of the road. Let’s begin to hold bicycle commuters accountable and responsible for their actions before a tragedy occurs on our city streets.
Street Talk: SHOULD BICYCLE ROAD FEES AND INSURANCE BE REQUIRED? The new bike lanes and the traffic lights do not pay for themselves. Roadway “user fees” should be charged for bicycle usage just as vehicles are charged for use of public roadways through plate and registration requirements. Bicyclists assume they have the same usage rights as vehicles and should assume the same fees. And what about insurance and safety requirements such as lights and helmets?
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“To make the right choices for Chicago’s commuting future, the city should rethink all transportation investments to include education, safety, and cost benefit studies so that the allocation of funding is distributed fairly to benefit all commuters.” - Vigore Chicago magazine
discover
New Orleans Native French Spanish Creole Cajun Americans
Americans
70 is still young, 60 is the new 50, 50 is the new 40 ... More Boomers (born between 1946 - 1964) are looking for U.S. (domestic) adventure and travel destinations.
What’s on your bucket list ? Share Your Story with Vigore
Rays of Light Photographs by: Peter Jezioro commissions invited www.pjezioro.com 847.922.5414 jeziorop@gmail.com All images copyright Peter Jezioro All Rights Reserved
Fall is fantastic- sunray & leaves & fog
Vigore Chicago magazine recommends Peter Jerzioro for his passion, talent and ability to capture the moment.
Farewell to summer - to be clean for next season
Viktor Sculptures in Granite Commissions Invited For more information about Viktor contact Olga Bugaeva 708.389.3038 monumentalartworks@gmail.com
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At the young age of 6, Chicago is the home to
Viktor,
a sculptor of granite. Viktor has created captivating sculptures that have traveled to national and international to museums, exhibitions and private collections. He is mostly known for his incredible talent at capturing the essence of a person in his portrait work.
Italy had Gian Lorenzo Bernini an Italian artist and a prominent architect who worked principally in Rome. He was the leading sculptor of his age, credited with creating the Baroque style of sculpture. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art.
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Viktor found his love of art and sculpture through a potato and a peeler. While helping his grandmother in the kitchen, preparing a traditional Russian feast, he had the task of peeling potatoes. When left alone to his own devices, Viktor decided to get creative and make his very first horse potato sculpture. When his grandmother returned to the kitchen, to her surprise and amusement, she saw that several of the potatoes were in a rough image of a mini horse army. At that point, everyone knew that little boy would be a great artist one day.
SYLVIA EARLE
“Spectrum of Discovery" 6" x 6" Mixed Media on Claybord (Available for sale at The Pod)
“Woven Through the Light”
Natalie Wetzel Making art is a way of life for me – deep, dynamic and transforming. Vivid and intense color voluntarily flow, forming organic shapes that express freedom, spontaneity, and a child-like playfulness.
“Celebration” Mixed Media: In Visual Arts, this refers to an artwork in which multiple mediums have been used to create the piece. Each work consists of a combination of encaustics (an ancient technique of painting that uses heated beeswax containing various pigments), acrylics, fiber paper, and pen and ink on claybord. By using multiple mediums, I am able to layer color and create dimension and texture on a flat surface.
A sense of adventure, free will, and impulsiveness drives me to explore the various ways in which the paint will behave apart from my distinct manipulation of the medium. As nuances of color, shape, and line appear, the paint takes on a life of its own and leads me down a path of discovery, contemplation, and introspection. Discontent to simply allow the paint to act on its own, I must intervene. A deep and sincere need, inherent within me, rises up and cries out for some kind of basic order amidst this pandemonium.
Natalie Wetzel, graduated from Illinois State University with a fine art degree and a concentration in painting and drawing. Currently resides in Normal, IL with her husband and four children. Co-owner of an eclectic fine art and gift boutique in Uptown Normal. The name of the shop is The Pod, displaying local artwork done by nearly 70 different artists including 2-D, 3-D, jewelry, clothing, ceramics, glass, photography, oil and acrylic paintings and many mixed media pieces. Natalie Wetzel has been creating and selling art for over fifteen years. 52
Robert Trisko
photos by Larry Sanders
designed & created by
National and International Award Winning Designs Trisko Jewelry will be presenting their designs at art shows across the USA in 2014. Contact us for information on the upcoming shows and their locations. trisko2.com • 320.253.5346 • ian@trisko2.com
Svaja Dream Sculptures are a unique combination of glass, stone and metal. We are using the distinctive technique, which is well suited to very bright sunlight as well as very low temperatures. SvajaDream Sculptures in the commercial interior market • Hotels • Restaurants • Public Places • Hospitals
• Private Residences • Art Galleries
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Durable sculptural processes originally used carving (the removal of material) and modelling (the addition of material), in stone, metal, ceramics, wood and other materials but, since modernism, shifts in sculptural process led to an almost complete freedom of materials and process. A wide variety of materials may be worked by removal such as carving, assembled by welding or modelling, or moulded, or cast.
Svaja Creations are very characteristic, dynamic and monumental, looks intriguing and creates aesthetic interest. Welcome to the Svaja world were modern art meets traditional craftsmanship! Creativity is intelligence having fun! - Albert Einstein Follow us on Twitter Like Svaja on Facebook Svaja.com
The FAAVM Global Ambassador for Women works to promote and ensure women’s issues are fully integrated in the formulation of global policy. The Ambassador also works to promote stability, peace, and development by empowering women politically, socially, and economically around the world. The FAAVM believes gender equality is critical to our shared goals of prosperity, stability, and peace and that investing in women and girls worldwide are critical to advancing human rights worldwide.Promoting gender equality and advancing the status of all women and girls around the world remains one of the greatest tasks of FAAVM’s Global Ambassador for Women. Ensuring that women and girls, including those most marginalized, are able to participate fully in public life, are free from violence, and have equal access to education, economic opportunity, and health care increases broader economic prosperity, as well as political stability and security; and to inspire and empower women to achieve their fullest potential through self entrepreneurship and leadership.
Bob Summitt
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PORTRAIT ARTIST
Summitt Photography • 309-364-3862 • sphoto@frontier.com • www.summittphotography.com Playful & Expressive • Elegant & Distinguished • Refined & Warm
FINE ART
Dada Ain't YourYour DaddyDaddy Dada Ain't
your sadistic anarchist' 'unless your daddy is 'unless an imperial (part 1 - written by Marc Rubin)
daddy imperial (part 1is-an written bysadistic Marc anarchist' Rubin) "DADAism"; As defined by Tristan Tzara in 1917 in his proclamation, "The DADA Manifesto"; DADAism is defined by DADAists as the greatest of all art movements, the culmination of fine art transformed into anti-art. The entire DADA Manifesto can be read at; www.MarcRubin.com Well, if Dadaism in all of its negative political manifestations had not been sneakily brainwashed into American society since 1917 this article would be great comedy. However, the reality and extent of its covert saturation has America at the point of collapse. The five Fine Arts entertained us and recorded religion, politics and history before our age of technology. In our time the daily importance of Art remains but it is now a mixture of Art and Dada anti-art. Fine Art keeps moving forward but Tristan Tzara’s manifesto states: DADA is the abolition of the future, the abolition of memory, the abolition of archeology, the abolition of prophets (God), the destruction of the family and the negation of beauty. Knowing the basis of Dada art makes it easy to recognize. Overall it expresses a negative rant that the world is bad and should be destroyed. Knowing the difference between the two is simple. If something is presented to you as “Art”, start by reading its title and then let your inner sense of aesthetics form your personal opinion.
History When artist Tristan Tzara wrote his
"DADA" rant in 1917 he attacked the core of civilization. He came from German wealth and rode out World War I at his family's chalet in Switzerland. He was an unsuccessful budding artist before the war. In 1917 his disenchantment with the art world and the war boiled over into a document that would be seen today as obvious hate speech or at the least a nasty rant. It has the tone of a spoiled child's tantrum. It coalesced many political deviants and disenchanted artists into an anti-civilization cult known today as The Progressive Political Movement. That politic defines a common mass collective of people governed by a socialist dictatorship. In their vision art is propaganda. Personal opinion is smothered by rules for the collective. While Fine Art engenders personal opinion and emotion, Dada anti-art would be their vehicle to control humanity. In 1917 Fine Art was alive and well but through persistent clandestine effort our institutions of education and the arts have been quietly over taken and demoralized. Progressive control uses artists or sentences them to lifelong obscurity. The concepts in Tzara's manifesto persist within the progressive political movement and DADA art. It was Salvador Dali who read an article in the Paris Times that proclaimed the birth of a new art movement called Surrealism and went to meet the Surrealists hoping to join a new exciting art style just as the Post Impressionists and Fauves and Cubists had done. As he told me in the mid 1970's he met the Surrealists and saw that none of them had produced any art in their new art style. 58
He said they were rich kids who talked and talked but never painted or sculpted. So Salvador decided to create and define the art style himself and went home to Spain and made his first Surreal paintings. When three of the group’s members paid him a surprise visit they saw his Surreal art invention but railed at him because of his first major invention, 'the kinda cubist kinda realistic street scene' a style that remains well enjoyed and much used. They returned to Paris and panned him in a paid article in the Paris Times. They said he made untalented pretty paintings that were uninspired and trite. Salvador still wanted the groups praise so he began to visit other members and by the time of the first DADA art exhibition he had read the DADA Manifesto and was fully aware of their anarchist political cult disguised as an art movement. Many modern artists from all over Europe were hoodwinked into making art for the DADA Peace Exhibition protesting the horrors of war. Salvador did not include himself but he painted a symbolic peace dove as called for by George Braque. Salvador's dove is depicted as a dead bird within a cats belly and he added a patch of sand to his painting, a technique used by Braque, to warn Braque and the others of the DADA movement’s secret intentions. After Salvador Dali’s death the progressives began to slowly rewrite his life and the meaning of his work. For those of us who actually knew Salvador their rewrite is seen as slander. He was neither a communist or homosexual. He often used his art to wage war against the dada’s.
DADA Manifesto: dada is the abolition of memory Salvador Dali 1931:
The Persistence of Memory - Salvador Dali 1931
Dadaism has led to today’s confusion, “what is art?” “The Persistence of Memory” In 1919 the DADA Art Movement was declared dead when Fine Art painters and sculptors read the manifesto and walked away. The only artist of early promise to remain was Marcel Duchamp. His painting, "Nude Descending A Staircase" is still enjoyed as one of the greatest pieces of Cubism ever made but Duchamp decided to buy objects like a men's wall urinal or a bicycle tire and rename them declaring each to be a work of art. By doing so he defined DADAism as anti-art that makes fun of Fine Art.
Nude Descending A Staircase - Duchamp
After a century of clandestine efforts we see all sorts of junk or common manufactured objects perpetrated upon us as "art with a message". Further, Fine Art constructs and Duchamp called many of his works deconstructions. Politically, Duchamp Fountain - Duchamp opposed World War I and identified with Individualist Anarchism, in particular with Max Stirner's philosophical tract “The Ego and Its Own”, the study of which Duchamp considered the turning point in his artistic and intellectual development. It might seem that Duchamp wanted to gain attention as a quirky artist. In reality he had become a card carrying anarchist ready to assist in the political destruction of western civilization and morality for the sake of “A New World Order” based in totalitarian social-communist control. With the backing of the world progressive movement, located in Paris, he fought to remove the beauty and soul from art. He thought he could “re-invent the purpose of the wheel” in his found object piece, “Bicycle Wheel”.
Kurt Schwitters was repulsed and was excluded from the Dada movement for actually making Fine Art with found objects. He reacted by naming a new style called “The Merz” (German word for commerce) in opposition to anti-capitalism communist Dada. His work, “The Cherry Picture” tells a story in the tradition of Fine The Cherry Picture - Kurt Schwitters Art as opposed to Duchamp’s anti-art, “Bicycle Wheel”. Today, everyone understands what a collage is but there is still no artistic purpose for anti-art. Dadaism has led to today’s confusion, “what is art?”
Dadaism is anarchy The Dada view that anything can be called art serves to demean personal opinion. In reality everything is not art. Dada says you should never read the title of a work of art because for it is meaningless. In fact it is the title that can immediately tell you whether you are viewing Art verses Dada non-art. Fine Art conveys a human message. Dada anti-art insults your intelligence and humanity.
Read Titles or Be Fooled Understand that modern art starts in reality which is abstracted to enhance a message, create a new aesthetic or tell a fuller story than realistic art. We are often lured to approach what we perceive from a distance to be art but upon a closer look we become confused. It’s all in the title. Do the words relate to the piece? Are the words negative, cold or demoralizing? Do the words open your imagination to a story or human message? Isn’t it curious that people still want to know why Mona Lisa is smiling but nobody wants to know why Duchamp bolted a bicycle wheel to a stool. You decide!
Bicycle Wheel - Duchamp
Liz Schulze: Dali and Grant Wood meet Pop Art Liz Schulze melds Surrealism and Pop Art with her love of the iconic American painter Grant Wood. Her color pallette is based in yellow, red and blue just like the French Post Impressionists. When Schulze delivers a painting with an important message she still finds room to soften the edge of a bluntly serious subject. Her work titled "Fembot with a Green Face" is such a work. It speaks large to women's issues. Yet, while delivering a detailed serious message, she maintains a delightful appearance to lure you close and hold your attention until you become aware of her message. The "wall mural" has returned and presents the opportunity to infuse a room with your personality if Liz Schulze is your muralist. A mundane laundry room can become vibrant and energetic. The home office or an informal breakfast room can be transformed into a vacation. You can bring the outdoors indoors and enjoy a summer day all year long. Schulze stands tall as a true Fine Artist who brings richness to wall mural art
Liz Shulze:
"There’s something immensely satisfying about working on a wall. It’s something tactile in an increasingly virtual world."
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Wall Mural: A dining room becomes a backyard summer barbeque all year long
Wall Mural: Laundry Room Fun
Wall Mural: A Canned Ham Camper Vacation
LUXURY REPORT: MEN’S UNDERWEAR MARKET IS BOOMING IN: DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY & PERFORMANCE As American men are taking more care about their appearance and grooming styles, it is only appropriate that men are taking a new look at “the first thing they put on, and the last thing they take off” – underwear! The market for luxury underwear is expanding faster than ever before. Luxury fabrics. Innovative technology. Creative design elements. High performance. Phrases not ordinarily associated with men’s underwear. But for more than 25 years, the Tani brand has been associated with excellence in the evolution of men’s underwear with 300 branded stores in China and in over 20 countries. Tani is now being introduced into the U.S. market.
Utilizing state-of-the-art knitting technologies, the highest possible percentage of the finest high-performance, natural fibers and premium yarns, a product line unlike anything seen before in men’s premium underwear. “Your underwear should reflect your lifestyle. It should reflect who you are and correlate with your life’s many moods, occasions and situations,” says Yarden Gagnon, Underwear Designer, Industry Expert and an Advisor for Tani. “Tani is changing the way men think about underwear, offering lines that are lifestyle focused rather than simply an irrelevant base layer.” There are four cornerstones that best represent men looking for the best in today’s fashion: Tailored, Athletic, Natural and Innovative. Each of these cornerstones are represented within the five distinct collections, each designed to meet the specific and unique needs of today’s modern man: Whether it’s a man buying for himself, or a man or a woman buying as a gift for someone special, there are now choices… exciting choices to be made in men’s underwear. Incredibly luxurious, naturally comfortable and long lasting. These new styles are available in rich colors and sophisticated patterns on a seasonal basis. The complete collection, including additional tops can be found at www.TaniUSA.com, as well as select online and high-end boutique retailers.
“My personal quest for a quality men’s underwear line led me to Tani,” said Adam Dinkes, President, Tani USA. “Blending superior quality, luxury and advanced technology, Tani is the new standard in men’s underwear.” Today’s upscale, modern man understands that style starts underneath their bespoke suit and tie. Whether or not the underwear is ever seen by anyone else – at the gym or in more intimate situations, men should feel self-assured with the knowledge that if and when the time comes, they will be viewed as confident with himself in all situations. There are a number of considerations a smart shopper should make when buying a luxury men’s underwear. In listening to the needs of today’s stylish, upscale man, Tani created each of their collections with critical benefits such as anti-microbial and moisture management properties. But what truly sets Tani apart is being the first-to-market with the most advanced branded fibers that offer superior fit and comfort, unprecedented stretch, recovery and durability. 62
SilkTouch Brief Made with the finest modal fiber to date: Micro Modal® Air fiber, the extreme lightness and fineness of the knit results in a super soft fabric. Perfect for everyday under a suit or your favorite jeans. $35-$45 – Brief, Boxer Brief, Button Boxer
Everyday SilkTouch Collection Luxuriance Brief The Luxuriance collection takes men’s underwear into the stratosphere of super fabrics. For those that understand and appreciate complexity, we use the thinnest fibers and the most advanced knitting technologies to create fabrics never before seen in Men’s underwear. Whether it’s one of our intricate textures or subtle patterns, these garments are designed to not only look beautiful, but also to fit and perform in complete comfort. Made of the most expensive fibers available, these pieces are simply the best. $50-$55 – Brief, Contour Brief, Button Boxer, Boxer Brief
AIR Air Contrast Brief Creating good looking fabrics that actually perform is an art. Everyday Fitness Air collection is designed to be worn at the gym and for any athletic activity. Made from Tani’s unique Micro Tencel pique knit, it keeps you cool and dry and on trend. Our pique three dimensional knit allows for superior cooling and an extra light feeling to our garments. Not only does the fabric wick away moisture, but its surface texture holds tiny pockets of air that keep your body temperature regular, helping you stay comfortable in any situation. $40-$5 – Brief, Boxer Brief, Contrast Boxer, Contrast Brief
FRESH Fresh Contrast Brief Extreme conditions call for high performance fibers. The “Cooling Performance” of the Fresh collection comes from superfine Cupro, combined with the most sophisticated Japanese polyester. This fabric performs to extremes. With a built-in moisture management system that keeps you cool and dry. The Cooling Performance of the Fresh collection keeps you cool on the hottest days, during the most intense workouts and even in the most tropical of climates. $45-$50 – Contrast Brief, Contrast Boxer, Trunk, Button Boxer
SWISS COTTON Swiss Cotton Tank & Button Boxer The best money can buy. When it comes to underwear there is only one must have fabric for those who get it: Swiss Cotton. The fabric is so sophisticated that it’s smoothness and regularity is a first in men’s underwear. $60 – Contour Trunk, Boxer Brief, Button Boxer; $120 – Tank
www.TaniUSA.com
Manscaping silly, sassy, sexy, serious Men are cleaning up their act! Men, already the best looking men on the planet, are grooming or “manscaping” more than ever before. Manscaping, the art and science of male grooming, is a growing trend among men everywhere. Guys are getting face lifts, chest lifts, and lipo-suction. Ladies, don’t be surprised if you spy a man in your salon getting a facial, a mani-pedi, or even a wax job on that unwanted body hair. Men are increasingly making appointments for specialty grooming services that, until recently, might be considered for women only. They are learning from their female counterparts that the better you look, the better you feel. There is another reason men have increased their appointments at salons. Most women, it seems, like a neat and tidy man. And many men want to please their women. To be honest, men have been quietly grooming themselves for a very long time. The question for today’s man is what and how much to groom while still remaining a manly man of good taste. That decision, of course, remains up to the individual man. Since manscaping is a new trend, finding a discrete and trusted professional service can be quite a challenge. But don’t worry men, we found that many salons are now providing dedicated staff members who specialize in all your manscaping needs. Women, we discovered, are particularly interested in the removal of unwanted hair on their macho man. Men on the “cutting edge” of the manscaping craze are opting for the removal of unwanted hair on their chest, in their ears, nose, and for some men, legs, underarms, and even toes. We also found that women have definite opinions about pubic hair and how it affects that most intimate time between a woman and her man. So, with all this new information in mind, we decided it was time to see just exactly what women are thinking as they see men joining them in the search for that perfect look. Vigore decided to survey Chicago area women about one of the most talked about and controversial subjects in male grooming, unwanted hair! To remove or not to remove, that is the question. We asked women in two Chicago area salons to fill out a quick survey as to their preferences on male hair removal or lack thereof.
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Our survey questioned women from age sixteen to sixty-one. The women we surveyed had a lot to say about male hair removal and the most talked about area was, not surprisingly, the dreaded visible back hair. The survey showed that most women want a man with a clean back, but there are a few who like the “cave man” look. Hey, whatever turns you on, right? Now, of those women who were turned off by a hairy back, only seventeen percent felt comfortable asking their man to take it all off. Apparently, we don't want to offend our men or make them think they are anything less than perfect. So, let’s not split hairs, it is difficult to ask the one you love to make changes in his/her appearance. But, the great news is that of those women who did ask their man to wax it off, 75% of those agreeable fellows did just that. Women were also definite on the subject of ear and nose hair. Every woman surveyed voted “yes” for ritual ear and nose hair removal. As for those hairy toes, women went almost 50/50, with half voting for hairless toes, and the other half didn’t care one way or the other. And last, most women in our survey said they prefer their man to at least trim that most intimate area of male anatomy. And a note to men; if you would rather groom the erogenous area at home, we found that you can rely on stores in your area for an ample assortment of at-home trimming devices. If you do opt for home trimming, good for you. But if you have your mate help, you should know that only a few women think using scissors is the best way to trim the “down low” zone. Quick tip ladies, most men prefer to keep sharp objects away from that area. Overall, it seems women like the new trend of manscaping. But ladies, if you are shy about asking your man to trim up, we suggest a gift certificate to show him you care but also to provide a subtle hint. Or, you might leave Vigore magazine lying around, open to this article. Who knows, it may be all your man needs to start his own manscaping trend. And you both might enjoy the benefits.
mature humorous
edgy
About the survey:
Our manscaping survey was conducted at Salon, in the Chicago’s South Loop with the help of Cynthia Chamberlain and InStyle Salon Suites in Barlett, IL . Women from age sixteen to sixty-one were asked to fill out a survey about male hair grooming, a trend that continues to grow in popularity as more and more men shave, trim, wax and even laser unflattering or unwanted body hair.
Of course, Vigore’s survey is not scientific, and is meant to be fun, but it is also meant to keep people informed about the latest issues concerning men and women. So, we asked women if they wanted their man to remove or trim hair from certain areas of their body.
men take note, yes wins The results of this “hairy situation” are as follows: Women Surveyed on Male Body Hair
V Special Interest
Yes
No
Undecided Not an issue
Do you prefer a neatly groomed man? The 4% liked the overgrown jungle man look
57%
4%
35%
Ever ask your man to remove unwanted body hair?
35%
65%
Does back hair on a man bother you?
57%
4%
Ever ask your man to remove back hair?
17%
83%
Did your man remove back hair upon request?
75%
25%
Would you like your man to remove nose/ear hair?
91%
5%
Would you like your man to remove toe hair?
52%
48%
Would you like your man to trim/remove chest hair?
43%
13%
44%
Would you like your man to shave his legs?
22%
74%
4%
Would you like your man to trim/remove pubic hair?
65%
26%
9%
Do women like chest hair exposed?
30%
30%
40%
39%
4%
SeaHorses
East meets West • Medicine
A different approach towards healing and medicine Serious, Humorous, Interesting - Centuries old remedy without the side effects or warnings of Western (U.S.) ED drugs - think about it before laughing
Are you in a truly fulfilling relationship? Do you have a great sex life? If the answer to either of those questions comes up negative, you might take a lesson from the seahorse. Apparently these unusual creatures of the ocean have the secret to a long and happy relationship.
What is the secret? Dr. Amanda Vincent of Oxford University's department of zoology in Canada studied the unique mating and reproductive process of the seahorse and uncovered many of their mating rituals. For starters, they have only one mate for life. Yes it’s true. No partner is abandoned for a younger seahorse or for one with a bigger habitat, and no secret rendezvous in the sea grass near the coral reef next door. It is believed that this lifetime relationship enables the seahorse “couple” to become an efficient and effective baby-making team, producing around 1,000 young per year, a family large enough to break up even the happiest of couples. Yet, these two dedicated lovers remain steadfast in their commitment to each other. When mating, the female seahorse deposits her eggs (100-600) in the male brood pouch and the male fertilizes them internally. The male carries the eggs in his pouch for three to six weeks. He then releases the fully formed, miniature (only one centimeter long) seahorses into the water. Sounds like a plan – daddy seahorse is just as important as mommy in bringing their baby seahorses into the world. No wonder they remain so close.
What a team! To further reinforce their bond, the happy couple greets each other every morning and sometimes in the evening, an interesting yet sometimes overlooked mating ritual. They spend the rest of the day separated, the male takes care of the eggs and the female goes out to hunt for food. Ah yes, absence does make the heart grow fonder Even before Dr. Vincent’s discovery, the mystical seahorse has a long been viewed with awe, a kind of submarine saint. The seahorse looks like a Gothic hallucination, with the profile of a horse, the snout of an anteater, and the spiraling tail of a dragon curling inward towards its belly and head. The scientific name for the seahorse is hippocampus, Greek for "bent horse." Seahorses range in length from about a 1/4 inch to 14 inches and come in a variety of colors and species. They swim vertically, as if by magic, beating their fins up to 70 times a second. These one of a kind species of the deep blue are found in temperate and tropical coastal waters all over the world. Seahorses live a happy and fulfilling life, but they also provide many services for us on land. Ground up and mixed with herbs, seahorse has been used by the Chinese for centuries to treat many illnesses such as: arteriosclerosis, kidney disease, respiratory infections, and circulatory disorders.
The Chinese have also used seahorse as an aphrodisiac. The Chinese have claimed it as a possible cure for infertility and sexual impotence, but we could expect nothing less from our fertile friends from the sea.
Mix some seahorse with a few herbs and throw away that bottle of Viagra. And yes, seahorses can also be eaten. Whole seahorses are made into soup. The taste is similar to dried scallops. The Cantonese have a Seahorse Soup recipe that calls for 4 seahorses, pork stock, ginger and carrots. It is considered an added benefit to the meal if the male seahorse happens to be pregnant. Of course one must be careful when trying to eat the seahorse. They are served anatomically intact. All this demand for the power of the seahorse has caused an international sensation, with trade, mostly dried seahorse used for medicinal purposes, valued at $40 million a year.
The best quality seahorses used in traditional Chinese medicine are the smooth, pale, large seahorses—now selling in Hong Kong for up to $550 per pound. So it seems that the seahorse is valued all over the world to cure what ails us, to provide a gourmet meal, and yes to improve our sex lives and teach us a little lesson on how to keep that love alive. Sea Horse Cocktail Ingredients: 60ml Vodka, 30ml Apple Juice 30ml Cranberry Juice 1 teaspoon Pernod 1 teaspoon fresh Lime Juice To make this cocktail pour all ingredients over ice and serve. Garnish with mint leaves.
An estimated about one in ten American men experience recurring ED at some point in their lives, by a number of causes, both psychological and physiological, and is not always treatable with drugs. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry top 3 companies posting sales of $3.1 Billion in 2006. 66
An Old Fresh Perspective You Can Learn from
resumĂŠ PROBLEMS?
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo’s 561st birthday A remarkable fellow is still teaching us something about the future. What a genius... Before he was famous, before he painted the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, before he invented the helicopter, before he drew the most famous image of man, before he was all of these things, Leonardo da Vinci was an artificer, an armorer, a maker of things that go "boom". Like many, he had to put together a resume to get his next position. So in 1482, at the age of 30, he wrote out a letter and a list of his capabilities and sent it off to Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan. You'll notice he doesn't recite past achievements. He doesn't mention the painting of the altarpiece for the Chapel of St Bernard; he doesn't provide a laundry list of past bombs he's built; he doesn't cite his prior employment in artist Andrea di Cione's studio. No, he does none of these things, because those would be about his achievements, not the Duke's needs. Instead, he sells his prospective employer on what Leonardo can do for him. Now imagine being the Duke of Milan and receiving this magnificent letter (resume) from the young Leonardo da Vinci of Florence. The descriptives paint a great picture (if you're a Renaissance Duke) of siege engines and bombardments and mortars and trench-draining and bridges to defeat the enemy. You can almost imagine the scenes that ran through the Duke's head as he held this letter in his hands and read through Leonardo da Vinci's bold statements of capabilities. A resume needs to enticing. Not a laundry list/standard bio that talks about you, but the marketing piece that talks about the benefits to your future employer and how you fit into his or her needs and desires. The translation of this letter is quite remarkable: "Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to any one else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and proven to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below. I have an extremely light and strong bridges, adapted to be easily carried, and with them you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy. I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make
endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions. If, by reason of the height of the banks, or the strength of the place and its position, it is impossible, when besieging a place, to avail oneself of the plan of bombardment, I have methods for destroying every rock or other fortress, even if it were founded on a rock. Again, I have kinds of mortars; most convenient and easy to carry; and with these I can fling small stones almost resembling a storm; and with the smoke of these cause great terror to the enemy, to his great detriment and confusion. With a fight at sea, I have kinds of many machines most efficient for offense and defense; and vessels which will resist the attack of the largest guns and powder and fumes. I have means by secret and tortuous mines and ways, made without noise, to reach a designated spot, even if it were needed to pass under a trench or a river. I will make covered chariots, safe and unattackable, which, entering among the enemy with their artillery, there is no body of men so great but they would break them. And behind these, infantry could follow quite unhurt and without any hindrance. In case of need I will make big guns, mortars, and light ordnance of fine and useful forms, out of the common type. Where the operation of bombardment might fail, I would contrive catapults, mangonels, trabocchi, and other machines of marvelous efficacy and not in common use. And in short, according to the variety of cases, I can contrive various and endless means of offense and defense. In times of peace I believe I can give perfect satisfaction and to the equal of any other in architecture and the composition of buildings public and private; and in guiding water from one place to another. I can carry out sculpture in marble, bronze, or clay, and also I can do in painting whatever may be done, as well as any other, be he who he may. And if any of the named things seem to anyone to be impossible or not feasible, I am most ready to make the experiment in whatever place may please your Excellency to whom I comment myself with the utmost humility".
“Boca Canal Sunbather" 2013 - 48” x 60” - acrylic on canvas - Synchronism/Pop Cubism