October 13, 2019 – davidbruceblog #2

BRUCE’S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER HEAR ON THE RADIO

Music: “Rebel Girl” from the album THE SINGLES

Artist: Bikini Kill

Artist Location: Olympia, Washington

Info: “Bikini Kill is a feminist punk band that was based in Olympia, WA and Washington DC, forming in 1990 and breaking up in 1997. Kathleen Hanna sang, Tobi Vail played drums, Billy Karren (aka Billy Boredom) played guitar and Kathi Wilcox played bass. Bikini Kill is credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 90’s via their political lyrics, zones and confrontational live show.”

Some Lyrics:

When she talks, I hear the revolution
In her hips, there’s revolution
When she walks, the revolution’s coming
In her kiss, I taste the revolution

Rebel girl, rebel girl
Rebel girl you are the queen of my world
Rebel girl, rebel girl
I know I wanna take you home
I wanna try on your clothes, uh

Price: $1 (USA) for song; $7.99 (USA) for album

If you are OK with paying for it, you can use PAYPAL or CREDIT CARD

Genre: Punk

“Rebel Girl”

Bikini Kill at Bandcamp

Mishaps

• Impressionist painter Edgar Degas was a perfectionist. Once he sold a painting, then took it back so he could improve it. The art collector who had bought the painting never got it back. Unfortunately, in attempting to improve the painting, Mr. Degas ruined it.

• Berenice Abbot gave up sculpture to become a photographer. While traveling from Berlin to Paris, she discovered that she was standing on the wrong train platform. Because she was in a hurry, she went to the right train platform — leaving behind her one of her huge sculptures.

Models

• While painting in Mexico, artist Edna Hibel needed models, and her mother brought in people off the street for her to paint. This worked well, but soon Ms. Hibel discovered that her models asked each day for money. While painting a woman who sold oranges, Ms. Hibel bought all her oranges, then paid for someone to watch the woman’s children while the woman sat for her. Each day, another reason to ask for money came up. Ms. Hibel painted one beggar, then discovered that he was the richest man in the village because he had such a good begging spot. Ms. Hibel says, “I loved the people of Mexico in spite of the games some of them played in order to get money. Most of their needs were real, and they were as generous as they were needy. They have beautiful souls as well as beautiful faces.”

• Edgar Degas had some interesting encounters with models, according to picture dealer Ambroise Vollard. He once poked gentle fun at a model, telling her, “You are a rare specimen. You have buttocks shaped like a pear, like the Mona Lisa.” The model was pleased by the compliment, and Mr. Vollard writes that “the girl, beaming with pride, would walk about showing off her buttocks.” On another occasion, a model looked at a painting that Mr. Degas was doing of her and criticized it: “Is that mynose, M. Degas? My nose never looked like that.” Mr. Degas first threw the model out of the room, and then he threw her clothes after her. She dressed on the landing.

• Comedian Harpo Marx was interested in painting, at one point creating several nudes. He once telephoned a model agency, but he forgot to say that he wanted a nude model. When the model arrived, he asked her to take off her clothes, but she declined. Harpo stripped to his underwear and painted her as she wore his painter’s smock.

• Sports artist Leroy Neiman once drew a portrait of Hank Aaron. Mr. Aaron was impressed with the drawing, and he wanted it, so he made a deal with Mr. Neiman. In return for the drawing, he agreed to be a model for one of Mr. Neiman’s art classes — the kids got a thrill when they discovered that their model was the king of home runs.

• Not everyone enjoyed being painted by Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. His In a Cafe (The Absinthe Drinker)shows a melancholy Ellen Andrée, an actress, and a melancholy Marcellin Desboutin, a painter. After seeing the finished painting, Ms. Andrée told Mr. Desboutin, “We look like a couple of idiots.”

• As a young art student, Claude Monet studied at the Académie Suisse, which was located across from a dentist office. Occasionally, a patient seeking dental help opened the wrong door and walked in on a group of art students sketching a nude model.

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THE COOLEST PEOPLE IN ART

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