Library of Congress acquires forty years of courtroom art

I don't know if this interests you but I just found out that the Library of Congress has obtained 96 courtroom sketches of high-profile cases, spanning over four decades. The drawings range from Watergate whistleblower Mark Felt to murderer Charles Manson, and were acquired through the generosity of the prominent Los Angeles lawyer Thomas V. Girardi. The collection includes illustrations by Aggie Kenny, Bill Robles and Elizabeth Williams, who have chronicled famous trials over the last fifty years. Although courtroom art is slowly going out of fashion in many court districts, sketch artists are still widely used around the world.

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Hand-Painted Movie Posters by Tony Stella

In the 70s and 80s movie theaters in Manila were usually standalone buildings with nice seats and red curtains. To sell tickets, cinemas needed to advertise their offerings. But they did not have the original posters, or the means to print alternatives. So they made their own, commissioning local artists to hand-paint them. I really miss those hand-painted posters and billboards, which conveyed an artistry that was a form of visual hyperbole. But hand-made objects always have a way of returning. In this digital age, people will always look for things made by hand. I recently stumbled across the work of Tony Stella, whose genuinely cool movie posters have caught the eye of film enthusiasts and art lovers worldwide. He likes to work in watercolor and ink wash but sometimes he will make an oil painting, depending on the film. Tony's very active on social media, and his Tumblr blog contains a massive collection of illustrated movie posters that are often better than the original. ...

Living A Double Life

I should have better things to do—but I have to admit to splurging an excessive amount of time and attention last week on an Italian confection strangely titled Baby . It's about a bunch of kids in Rome who deal with domestic strife and school bullies by selling drugs, getting really wasted and "seducing" older men with their youthful beauty. Baby gives you the perpetual, skin-crawling reminder that you're sitting and staring at young women's bodies, enjoying the way you can set foot into their lives and then turn away when the scenes do not interest you any longer. Oh my god. Chiara. Chiara is so hot. The series has a contagious misery, and may remind you of your younger, brasher, more energetic self. Here's another fact: It was inspired by the real-life Baby Squillo (Baby Prostitute) scandal, in which a group of young girls became involved in a prostitution ring. In many of the episodes, sex and teenage romance get mixed up without much effort and I never s...

Japanese artist En Iwamura creates adorable ceramic sculptures

Kyoto-born artist En Iwamura is showing his latest ceramic creations in a special show on August 31 at the Ross+Kramer Gallery in East Hampton, New York. En's sculpted objects, which he describes as three-dimensional clay doodling, exudes nothing but good vibes with their quirky, playful style. He consciously uses childhood influences such as manga and anime, and draws inspiration from both American and Japanese historical and pop-cultural references along with his own life experiences. Born in 1988, En completed both his BFA and MFA in craft from Kanazawa College of Art and Craft in 2011 and 2013, respectively. His works have been shown in New York City, Seattle, Kansas City, Durham, NC, Japan, Canada, China and more. Thanks for the tip, Rachel.

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