One Bad Cat

                                                  Holy by Albert Wagner



                                      Mississippi Mud by Albert Wagner



The first time I ever heard about Albert Wagner is when I watched One Bad Cat: The Reverend Albert Wagner Story, an award-winning 2008 documentary that chronicles the life of this so-called “Moses of East Cleveland”.  The movie takes us on a wild ride through the ups and downs of his life, including his origins as the child of sharecroppers to his becoming a “slave to sex, wine and women” to him being spontaneously and miraculously reborn as an artist and ordained minister.

Albert Wagner’s story is a very interesting one to say the least.  The entire time I watched it I kept going back and forth about whether I actually liked him or not.  Should I focus on the passion he puts into his paintings or the truly heinous crime he was convicted of?  Either way, people tend to have very strong opinions about him and his work. 

His critics think that his art is too basic and primitive and that it reflects his controversial views about race relations, which often conflict with opinions found in the rest of the Black community.  His supporters believe that his work is simple and soulful in the tradition of great folk art, and that it’s an important contribution to the art world. 

What do you think?  Watch the movie here and let me know.

Have Camera Will Travel

        Photo: © Shaina Oliphant

Top 10 Travel Photography Tips:

1. Capture the essence of your vacation by shooting destination-specific objects;
2. Photograph interesting locals in their everyday setting for a glimpse of what real life is like in a certain place;
3. Find a high vantage point like a mountain or skyscraper for cool city views (don't forget the view from your hotel);
4. Get up early and take pictures in the morning for dramatic lighting effects and to beat the crowds at popular locations;
5. When shooting through glass enclosures at zoos, aquariums, museums, etc. avoid annoying reflections in your photos by not using a flash and by pressing your lens right up to the glass;
6. Keep your photos from looking like a run-of-the-mill postcard by looking for unusual views and angles when shooting local landmarks;
7. Don't just visit the popular tourist traps, explore local streets, parks and markets to capture authentic images of your destination;
8. Whether you're headed to sand or sea, protect your camera from harsh elements by keeping it in a plastic pack and remove it only when shooting;
9. Protect yourself by constantly being aware of your surroundings and try not to make it so obvious that you're a tourist;
10. Do a little research before you go to learn about must-see places and upcoming events.

Happy Valentine's Day!

                                   Photo: © Shaina Oliphant

Google Gets it Right

                                      The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh


I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist.  I tend to think that:

     (1)  there's been a massive alien cover-up;
     (2)  the Illuminati runs the world; and
     (3)  don't even get me started on who killed Kennedy

So as you can imagine, when Google Maps came out with satellite technology that lets anyone with access to a computer have close-up views of my house with a few quick keystrokes, I was kind of nervous that Big Brother had gotten way out of control.

But Google has (slightly) redeemed itself with the launch of the Google Art Project.  This site lets you take virtual tours of some of the most well-known museums from all over the world for free.  From New York's Museum of Modern Art to London's Tate Museum, you can wander through famous art collections and use the high resolution zoom feature to view the works so close up that you can actually see the original brushstrokes.  Genius!

Street Scene: Chinatown, San Francisco

       Photo: © Shaina Oliphant

Move Over Marvel

       Illustration: © Dorian White

I’m working on a new project that I am sooo excited about!  The brains behind Dream of the Machine, an Atlanta-based graphic design firm, has created the storyline for a comic book about a young girl living in a post-apocalyptic world who has to make some serious decisions that could affect the fate of the planet.  It’s a really cool concept and I’m looking forward to putting words to the illustrations to help bring the story to life.  I’ll keep you posted on our progress. 

Art Center

       Photo: © Shaina Oliphant

The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center offers cutting-edge art and educational programs to the public.

        Photo: © Shaina Oliphant

                                    Photo: © Shaina Oliphant

Photos of the Art Center's message board.

       Photo: © Shaina Oliphant

I didn't take any photos of the "Dana Schutz: Drawings & Prints" exhibit, but if the Art Center's description of her and her work doesn't make you want to go see it for yourself I don't know what will:

Dana Schutz is an acclaimed painter known for her exuberant canvases featuring grotesquely comic figures performing activities of creativity, violence, and contemplation.