Video Profiles: British Artist Jonathan Yeo – “FaceTime Portraits”

Since lockdown started in the UK, British artist Jonathan Yeo began a ‘FaceTime Portraits’ series where sittings have been filmed by his household, offering viewers a live glimpse into his portrait painting process.

Here he tells us about the pros and cons of painting faces by digital means and how he sees the future of portraiture as technologies continue to evolve.

Jonathan Yeo is a British artist who rose to international prominence in his early 20s as a contemporary portraitist, having painted Kevin Spacey, Dennis Hopper, Cara Delevingne, Damien Hirst, Prince Philip, Erin O’Connor, Tony Blair, and David Cameron among others.

New Travel Books: “Capri – Dolce Vita” (Assouline)

Capri Dolce Vita - Assouline - July 2020Capri, a resort island dating back to the height of the Roman Empire, has long been an extraordinary destination full of ancient charm. Cherished by everyone from physician Axel Munthe, who recommended its clean air to his patients as a cure for bronchitis; to film director Jean-Luc Godard as the setting for his 1963 film Contempt; to literary icons, celebrities, poets, and the jet set, Capri boasts a rich Mediterranean spirit and style that encompasses a wealth of beauty, from gardens to villas to caves to the people walking in the lively Piazzetta, where cars are prohibited and the island’s playful attitude runs rampant. Capri Dolce Vita is a look at this fabled corner of the world through the ages and a celebration of paradise on earth.

Capri Dolce Vita - Assouline - Cesare Cunaccia - July 2020

Cesare Cunaccia is a writer, lecturer, curator, and journalist. He was editor at large for Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue and the antiques consultant for Architectural Digest Italy. He has also contributed to the divisions of Architectural Digest in Germany, China, and Russia, as well as Connaissance des ArtsOpera magazine, and L’Oeil. Cunaccia has published a variety of books, particularly on the Italian artistic heritage, which have been translated into twelve languages.

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New Travel Videos: “The Feel Of Jordan”, Western Asia By Zafar Mehdi (2020)

Filmed and Edited by: Zafar Mehdi

The travel video is an effort to show the authentic Jordan Country and get th glimpse of the country.

Music : Varan by Shahram Nazeri
Bella Ciao Guitar Cover by Luciano Renan

Jordan, an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River, is defined by ancient monuments, nature reserves and seaside resorts. It’s home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabatean capital dating to around 300 B.C. Set in a narrow valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs, Petra earns its nickname, the “Rose City.”

Website

New Science Podcasts: Coronavirus Contact Tracing Apps, Sea Otters

science-magazine-podcastsStaff Writer Kelly Servick joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about the ins and outs of coronavirus contact tracing apps—what they do, how they work, and how to calculate whether they are crushing the curve. 

Edward Gregr, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, talks with Sarah about the controversial reintroduction of sea otters to the Northern Pacific Ocean—their home for centuries, before the fur trade nearly wiped out the apex predator in the late 1800s. Gregr brings a unique cost-benefit perspective to his analysis, and finds many trade-offs with economic implications for fisheries For example, sea otters eat shellfish like urchins and crabs, depressing the shellfishing industry; but their diet encourages the growth of kelp forests, which in turn provide a habitat for economically important finfish, like salmon and rockfish.

Top New Digital Catalogs: “Artbook – D.A.P Fall 2020”

Artbook - DAP Catalog Fall 2020“We are proud to announce the Fall 2020 Artbook | D.A.P. Catalog of new books on art and culture.”

Against the odds, our publishers have produced a collection of gorgeous, generous and enlightening new books on some of the world’s most important and relevant artists—whether they be contemporary–like Kara Walker, Gerhard Richter, William Eggleston or Taryn Simon–or historic–like Hilma af Klint, Claude Monet or Rembrandt. Re-discoveries abound this season in the work of west coast sculptor and ceramicist JB Blunk, a facsimile 1982 dymaxion cookbook for Buckminster Fuller’s eighty-sixth birthday and the ultimate new edition of Helen Levitt’s classic A Way of Seeing, to name just a few.

READ DIGITAL CATALOG

Artbook - DAP Catalog Fall 2020 Klee

And yes, Reel Art Press really is publishing a collection of Neal Preston’s photographs of the rock band Queen, with texts from the band.

Top New Science Podcasts: Quantum States In Space Lab, Barcode Bacteria

nature-podcastsThis week, the spaceborne lab that allows investigation of quantum states, and the debate surrounding how mountain height is maintained.

In this episode:

01:18 Space lab

Scientists have built a lab on the international space station, allowing them to remotely investigate quantum phenomena in microgravity. Research Article: Aveline et al.News and Views: Quantum matter orbits Earth

08:37 Research Highlights

Trackable ‘barcode’ bacteria, and physicists simulate near light speed cycling. Research Highlight: ‘Barcode’ microbes could help to trace goods — from lettuce to loafersResearch Highlight: What Einstein’s theory means for a cyclist moving at almost light speed

10:48 Maintaining mountain height

For a long time many researchers have thought that mainly erosion controls the height of mountains, but new research suggests that tectonic forces play a bigger role. Research Article: Dielforder et al.News and Views: Mountain height might be controlled by tectonic force, rather than erosion

16:12 Pick of the Briefing

We pick our highlights from the Nature Briefing, including how sleep deprivation kills, and a monumental Maya structure hidden in plain sight. Quanta Magazine: Why Sleep Deprivation KillsNational…

Top American Painters: Watercolorist Tim Oliver – “Sketchy Landscapes”

As with all artists, my style is constantly evolving but presently I describe my style as “sloppy representationalism”.  I paint in a representational style with a “sketchy” quality to it. It seems to fit me.  I’m passionate about interpreting and communicating the character and the emotion of places in my work. 

Bowen Ranch Goat Pens - Tim Oliver

Tim Oliver Watercolors Paintings

Tim Oliver - ArtistWatercolor, in a practiced hand, is the perfect medium for capturing the powerful emotion of a place.  While I paint a variety of subjects, I’m most attracted to landscapes that stir passion within me in the moment.  I’m always drawn to things western, rural, gritty and seemingly mundane or ordinary. Anything evocative of a ‘time long passed by’ will always capture my attention.

Website

World’s Best Small Hotels: “Villa Franca Positano” On Italy’s Amalfi Coast (Video)

Perfectly situated on a hill between the craggy cliff tops and the glinting Mediterranean Sea, HVF Villa Franca Positano is romantic Italy at its most ravishing. With the picturesque cobbled piazzas of Positano and two blissful beaches just steps away, this stylish hilltop retreat offers the chance to check out from reality and absorb the glamour and gorgeousness of the ever-enchanting Amalfi Coast. A cool calm envelops this Italian idyll where bewitching coastal beauty dominates the window views and pines and citrus scent the air.

Hotel website

 

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious