Michael Cummings (b. Nov. 28, 1945): Haitian Mermaid # 2, 1996 - machine pieced, quilted, and appliquéd commercial and hand-dyed cotton, synthetic and antique fabrics, found objects, sequins, and beads (Smithsonian) “This quilt is one in a series of four inspired by a mermaid from Haitian mythology. The mermaid protects the people of the island when they go into the water, and takes on the form of a woman on land. Michael Cummings has used the images of the parrot and fish to represent the mythological creature’s power over both land and sea. Haitian Mermaid #2 employs a wide variety of materials, including hand-dyed and antique fabrics, and Cummings has combined bright colors with dark tones of blue and black to suggest a tranquil night scene.” - Smithsonian exhibition label Click for high-res photo

Michael Cummings (b. Nov. 28, 1945): Haitian Mermaid # 2, 1996 - machine pieced, quilted, and appliquéd commercial and hand-dyed cotton, synthetic and antique fabrics, found objects, sequins, and beads (Smithsonian)

“This quilt is one in a series of four inspired by a mermaid from Haitian mythology. The mermaid protects the people of the island when they go into the water, and takes on the form of a woman on land. Michael Cummings has used the images of the parrot and fish to represent the mythological creature’s power over both land and sea. Haitian Mermaid #2 employs a wide variety of materials, including hand-dyed and antique fabrics, and Cummings has combined bright colors with dark tones of blue and black to suggest a tranquil night scene.” - Smithsonian exhibition label

Morris Louis, American painter: Nov. 28, 1912 - 1962 (lung cancer) Faces, 1959 - acrylic on canvas (Smithsonian) “Louis destroyed many of his paintings between 1955 and 1957. He resumed work on the Veils in 1958–59. These were followed by Florals and Columns (1960), Unfurleds (1960–61)—in which rivulets of more opaque, intense color flow from both sides of large white fields of raw canvas — and finally the Stripe paintings (1961–62).” See also Click for high-res photo

Morris Louis, American painter: Nov. 28, 1912 - 1962 (lung cancer)

Faces, 1959 - acrylic on canvas (Smithsonian)

“Louis destroyed many of his paintings between 1955 and 1957. He resumed work on the Veils in 1958–59. These were followed by Florals and Columns (1960), Unfurleds (1960–61)—in which rivulets of more opaque, intense color flow from both sides of large white fields of raw canvas — and finally the Stripe paintings (1961–62).”

See also

William Blake, the visionary poet and painter of early English Romanticism: Nov. 28, 1757 - 1827 Painting: The Great Red Dragon and Woman Clothed in the Sun More Blake

William Blake, the visionary poet and painter of early English Romanticism: Nov. 28, 1757 - 1827

Painting: The Great Red Dragon and Woman Clothed in the Sun

More Blake

Claude Levi-Strauss, father of structural anthropology, died recently at age 100 - today would have been his 101st birthday… Photo of Levi-Strauss, encamped during fieldwork Much more Levi-Strauss on OF:

Claude Levi-Strauss, father of structural anthropology, died recently at age 100 - today would have been his 101st birthday…

Photo of Levi-Strauss, encamped during fieldwork

Much more Levi-Strauss on OF:

Russian poet Alexander Blok: Nov. 28, 1880 - 1921 Blok went from symbolism and mysticism in his poetry to a celebration of the Bolshevist worker’s hero - but ended up disillusioned and silenced by the turns the Russian revolution had taken post-1918… Photo by M.S. Nappelbaum

Russian poet Alexander Blok: Nov. 28, 1880 - 1921

Blok went from symbolism and mysticism in his poetry to a celebration of the Bolshevist worker’s hero - but ended up disillusioned and silenced by the turns the Russian revolution had taken post-1918…

Photo by M.S. Nappelbaum

A fine Italian literary gathering: Alberto Moravia, Elsa Morante, Carlo Levi, Carlo Muscetta - 1949 in Levi’s studio

A fine Italian literary gathering:

Alberto Moravia, Elsa Morante, Carlo Levi, Carlo Muscetta - 1949 in Levi’s studio

Italian novelist whose novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation, and existentialism, Alberto Moravia: Nov. 28, 1907 - 1990 Photo: Moravia with dog (if you prefer Moravia with cat, go to last year’s post)

Italian novelist whose novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation, and existentialism, Alberto Moravia: Nov. 28, 1907 - 1990

Photo: Moravia with dog (if you prefer Moravia with cat, go to last year’s post)

Stefan Zweig, Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist, biographer: Nov. 28, 1881 - 1942… Photo sequence of 24 images of Zweig Below: Zweig’s last poem, written shortly before he and is wife committed suicide together: Linder schwebt der Stunde Reigen über schon ergrautem Haar,denn erst an des Bechers Neigenwird der Grund, der goldne klar.Vorgefühl des nahen Nachtens,es verstört nicht - es entschwert.Reine Lust des Weltbetrachtenskennt nur, wer nicht mehr begehrt.Nicht mehr fragt, was er erreichte,nicht mehr klagt, was er gemisstund dem Altern nur der leichteAnfang seines Abschieds ist.Niemals glänzt der Ausblick freierals im Glast des Scheidelichts;nie lebt man das Leben treuerals im Schatten des Verzichts.More Zweig

Stefan Zweig, Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist, biographer: Nov. 28, 1881 - 1942…

Photo sequence of 24 images of Zweig

Below: Zweig’s last poem, written shortly before he and is wife committed suicide together:

Linder schwebt der Stunde Reigen
über schon ergrautem Haar,
denn erst an des Bechers Neigen
wird der Grund, der goldne klar.

Vorgefühl des nahen Nachtens,
es verstört nicht - es entschwert.
Reine Lust des Weltbetrachtens
kennt nur, wer nicht mehr begehrt.

Nicht mehr fragt, was er erreichte,
nicht mehr klagt, was er gemisst
und dem Altern nur der leichte
Anfang seines Abschieds ist.

Niemals glänzt der Ausblick freier
als im Glast des Scheidelichts;
nie lebt man das Leben treuer
als im Schatten des Verzichts.

More Zweig

Birthdays: Friedrich Engels, co-author with Marx of The Communist Manifesto and analyst of the miserable social conditions of the English working class: Nov. 28,  1820 - 1895 Much more on Engels and the Marx family

Birthdays:

Friedrich Engels, co-author with Marx of The Communist Manifesto and analyst of the miserable social conditions of the English working class: Nov. 28,  1820 - 1895

Much more on Engels and the Marx family

Nov. 28, 1895 – The first American automobile race takes place over the 54 miles from Chicago’s Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois. Frank Duryea wins the Chicago Times Herald Race with a “Buggyaut” in approximately 10 hours. Photo: Charles Duryea, Frank’s brother, sits in the Duryea “Buggyaut” built in the mid-1890’s  This was considered the first successful gas engine vehicle built in the United States.  

Nov. 28, 1895 – The first American automobile race takes place over the 54 miles from Chicago’s Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois. Frank Duryea wins the Chicago Times Herald Race with a “Buggyaut” in approximately 10 hours.

Photo: Charles Duryea, Frank’s brother, sits in the Duryea “Buggyaut” built in the mid-1890’s  This was considered the first successful gas engine vehicle built in the United States.  

Signing off again with a midnight sunset… Frank Wilbert Stokes (Nov. 27 1858 - 1955) was an American sketch artist and painter who specialized in illustrations of arctic and antarctic themes. He studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Thomas Eakins. Later on Stokes spent nine years in England and France where he in Paris studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts under Jean-Léon Gérôme, the Académie Colarossi under Raphaël Collin and the Académie Julian under Gustave Boulanger. Besides classical training in style and technique he also was influenced by impressionist style. Stoke participated in expeditions to northern Greenland under Robert Peary during 1886 and 1892 - 1894; in 1902 he joined the Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Otto Nordenskjöld, and during 1925 - 1926 he joined the Amundsen-Ellsworth expeditions… Above: Midnight Sunset—Davis Strait, Arctic Circle, n.d. - chalk on paper Click for high-res photo

Signing off again with a midnight sunset…

Frank Wilbert Stokes (Nov. 27 1858 - 1955) was an American sketch artist and painter who specialized in illustrations of arctic and antarctic themes. He studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Thomas Eakins. Later on Stokes spent nine years in England and France where he in Paris studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts under Jean-Léon Gérôme, the Académie Colarossi under Raphaël Collin and the Académie Julian under Gustave Boulanger. Besides classical training in style and technique he also was influenced by impressionist style. Stoke participated in expeditions to northern Greenland under Robert Peary during 1886 and 1892 - 1894; in 1902 he joined the Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Otto Nordenskjöld, and during 1925 - 1926 he joined the Amundsen-Ellsworth expeditions…

Above: Midnight Sunset—Davis Strait, Arctic Circle, n.d. - chalk on paper

Still on Malta, still not much luck with Internet connectivity… But, one post at least to mark the anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s birth 67 years ago: Nov. 27, 1942… Photo of Jimi handling the legacy of the blues…

Still on Malta, still not much luck with Internet connectivity…

But, one post at least to mark the anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s birth 67 years ago: Nov. 27, 1942…

Photo of Jimi handling the legacy of the blues…

From one of Peter Goin’s (b. Nov. 26, 1951) “Narrative Photograms” on the Red Line subway stop Metro/7th in Los Angeles… (Source) Over and out from Malta tonight - tired of spotty Internet connections! Click for high-res photo

From one of Peter Goin’s (b. Nov. 26, 1951) “Narrative Photograms” on the Red Line subway stop Metro/7th in Los Angeles… (Source)

Over and out from Malta tonight - tired of spotty Internet connections!

While Alfred Eisenstaedt was visiting Norbert Wiener at MIT, he also shot this photo: Electricity emitted from machine at MIT, Boston, MA., 1949

While Alfred Eisenstaedt was visiting Norbert Wiener at MIT, he also shot this photo:

Electricity emitted from machine at MIT, Boston, MA., 1949

Another notable birthday: Norbert Wiener, American mathematician: Nov. 26, 1884 - 1964… Original caption from LIFE Magazine: Portrait of Professor Norbert Wiener, American mathmematician who founded cybernetics, in classrom at MIT. Photo Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1949 Click for high-res photo

Another notable birthday: Norbert Wiener, American mathematician: Nov. 26, 1884 - 1964…

Original caption from LIFE Magazine: Portrait of Professor Norbert Wiener, American mathmematician who founded cybernetics, in classrom at MIT.

Photo Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1949