Archive for December 2020
Tensions
Archeologists often assemble ancient stones to tell a story of a civilization past. What will they tell of our empire? Will there be anything left to piece together? I like to think about the rise and fall of ancient societies. What secrets can we learn from the ruins of old cities? In the past, pandemics…
Read MoreAvinu Avinu Avinu #2
I find myself playing familiar music. This putting old wine in newish bottles is expressing something important for me as we weather the turbulence of the transition. Makes me wonder, what is it that remains true while we respond to so much evidence of challenge and division in our society? I rest in the music while…
Read MoreTenacity
This video post began with one of my composite/abstracted images of desert and sky, called Tenacity. Motion designer Luis Socorro help bring the piece it to life, adding a cosmic touch to the composition. We are a tenacious lot. Be well and be safe! Copyright © 2020 Steve Bennett Steve BennettSteve Bennett is…
Read MoreLike No Christmas Eve Past
For years, I’ve taken a walk at dusk on Christmas Eve. This afternoon’s ritual trek through Cambridge and Somerville, MA was a stark reminder of how surreal the world has become. There was no trace of the festive energy that usually marks this time of the year, and few hints that I was passing through…
Read MorePurple and Green
In 2020, my studio became the only place I could escape the stress of the pandemic. I’d paint joy for hours, often beach cottages and sweeping ocean views. I’d forget about the troubled world outside my door. Then came the George Floyd murder in late May. My emotional response drew me back to my studio…
Read MoreThey Never Lose Optimism
Five years ago, I started a project called “The Italians,” which is about street portraits in my home town, Lucca, and in Florence, Pisa, and Livorno. Then the coronavirus came along and the project stalled—people were disappearing from the streets; many have died. Poverty and poor governance have made the situation terrible. These images are…
Read MoreOf Covid-19 and Enchiladas
Imagine yourself, just for a moment, unable to move your head, arms, or legs. Your speech barely audible. You lie on your bed in a sweat and your breathing is labored. You can’t call out for help. Have you ever had such a nightmare? If you have, you are lucky. It was just a dream. For my…
Read MoreThreads of a Christmas Past
My mother, Victoria Peabody, was a limitless, influential woman, a maverick in every sense of the word. She carved a long and wide burn mark on this earth as she blazed through life, breaking rules that didn’t even exist and ignoring ones that did but didn’t suit her. In fact, she created and followed her…
Read MoreAcoustic Slinky Jazz Funk
I need a little jazz funk every now and then to weather the heavy weather. This piece is my response to what’s going on. And on and on out there. Seems to fit the bill. Copyright © 2020 Stanley Sagov Stanley SagovStanley Sagov leads an intense dual life as a physician (Family Practice Group,…
Read MoreOne Canvas, Two Realities
When I created Pangean Dream earlier this year, my goal was to produce a surreal study of extreme contrasts. Like all of my composite artwork, Pangean Dream began with literal photographs. I then used digital tools to bend, break, and blend the images. As the process unfolded, intention gave way to accident as the lines…
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