Last Hours of 2021

 

“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 

Ezekiel 18:21-22

Erich Ohser: The Burden of Art

This is the sad story of a pioneer, light years ahead of the contemporary trend.

Erich Ohser (aka E.O. Plauen) was born in 1903 in Adorf,  small outlaying in Vogtland.  During a short professional career, he worked for magazines such as Vorwärts (=Forward), illustrating satirical representations of Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler. Obviously, these endeavors earned him the enmity of the Nazis, and he was prohibited from practicing his trade under an order of professional disqualification (=Berufsverbot). He continued to work under pseudonyms, and from 1940, began again to produce cartoons on political themes. He was arrested on charges of expressing anti-Nazi opinions (reichsfeindliche Äußerungen). Sadly, Ohser committed suicide in jail 24 hours before his trial.

I accidentally discovered some of his comic strips dating back to the 1930s. His art has been an intriguing subject for me. Elements of his political orientation were interwoven into his modern aesthetic flavor. His satirical caricatures or cartoons, frequently accompanied by Erich Knauf's articles, expressed his political stance against National Socialism. The interesting aspect is how an artist channels ideas under a rigid censorship regime. The notorious Father and Son series is probably the most popular work by Ohser that captivated readers between 1934 to 1937. The adventures of the funnily depicted duo gave the artist a veiled platform to express his views.

Pedram, 12/16/2021

An Excerpt from Behave

in World War II only 15 to 20 percent of riflemen ever fired their guns. The rest? Running messages, helping people load ammunition, tending to buddies—but not aiming a rifle at someone nearby and pulling a trigger. Psychologists of warfare emphasize how, in the heat of battle, people don’t shoot another human out of hatred or obedience, or even from knowing that this enemy is trying to kill them. Instead it’s the pseudokinship of bands of brothers—to protect your buddies, to not let the guys next to you down. But outside those motivations, humans show a strong natural aversion to killing at close range.

Sapolsky, Robert M.. Behave (p. 645). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Phipps Conservatory

11/21/2021

 

The Magic Flute

 

What a fantastic performance! It was truly moving with layers and layers of symbolic personas and the philosophical undertow. Mozart died around 10 weeks after writing the Magic Flute. Maybe I attended this opera in the nick of time!

Tuesday, 11/9/2021

(With fever and chills)

The Burden of Pettiness

After all the inept pointless comments you've received during a recent discussion over PETTY matters, it is you and the cup of tea and the universe of beautiful things that will embrace you. As long as you stand by your rationale and maintain an open-minded attitude and do not let dogma take over, these encounters will strengthen your personality.  It is you and the discipline inside that you decide the winner, not them and their agenda. This is a nice study in tolerance and being receptive.

In the end, you remain and your mind, intellect, ego, and memory. You remain and your subtle body.

Pedram

11/6/2021

Pat Martino (1944 – 2021)

 Very sad news. Pat Martino, the legendary jazz guitarist, was a musician I discovered when I was fervently exploring the realms of jazz guitar.  The first album I listened to was the 1972 "The Visit". Afterward, I listened to 1968 "East" and then the 1974 "Consciousness". 

His masterful music always absorbed my attention. The key event that made his career more intriguing is the brain injury that led to his amnesia. The memory loss forced Mr. Martino to re-learn all his previous music. This was an uphill battle but boy how fruitful and inspiring all this endeavor turned out to be. 

Rest in peace!

 Pedram, 11/2/2021

Black Sunday: An Enduring Masterpiece

 Watched this gothic masterpiece last Sunday. What a pleasant surprise it was. There are certain works that are decades ahead of their time both conceptually and stylistically. And no surprise, the reaction to most of them was pretty damning. But in long term, adventurous endeavors are appreciated.

Black Sunday (1960)

Directed by: Mario Bava

Starring: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, and Andrea Checchi