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| Sarah Thee Campagna, "Lensey". |
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| Sarah Thee Campagna, "Where are my keys?" |
Matthew Leininger, of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, was the first person to pursue Mark Landis, but Landis had been suspected as a forger by at least one museum, the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, in Laurel, Mississippi. In 2003, five years before Everett Shinn called "Nymph on the Rocks." Landis had promised other works, which the museum tried for a year to obtain; which he didn't provide the pieces, the staff grew suspicious of him.The article includes a quote by art historian Noah Charney, founder of ARCA:
Some people consider Landis to be not so much a forger as a con artists which is the epithet Leininger most often employs. Noah Charney, an art historian who is the founder of the Association for Research Into Crimes Against Art, in Rome, wrote me that he thinks of Landis as an adept impostor "more akin to identity fraudsters, like Clark Rockefeller." Money isn't what such people desire. They want to be treated as substantial citizens. "Social status and a feeling of belonging is their reward," Charney wrote. In this context, the painting or drawing Landis spends an hour making is ephemeral: it needs to last only long enough to admit him to a sympathetic haven.
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| Eleanor Pigman, "Queen of Hearts". |
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| Brenda Gregory, "Rise of the Industrial War Machine". |
Gulfport’s 13th Annual Geckofest will bring entertainment to the streets during a daylong spectacle
on Saturday, August 31st.
Amid the thousands of festival-goers, hundreds of vendors and dozens of live musicians on two stages, expect to come face to face with live mermaids, magicians, jugglers, acrobats, fire dancers and more, creating an “up close and personal” circus atmosphere throughout the village.Each year, Gulfport celebrates the end of summer with its largest festival of the year, dedicated to the town’s unofficial mascot and favorite reptile.
All festivities take place on Beach Boulevard in Gulfport from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The festival has grown to become one of Tampa Bay’s most anticipated events of the year.Live mermaids will be visiting in a rare display.
Entertainment in the streets is one of the hallmarks of Geckofest, with many both strolling and stationary performers interacting with visitors.
This year’s festival brings more action, fun and thrills to the streets than ever before.
The curator of the exhibit will give details on the history of mermaids, their habits and habitats, before drawing the curtain to reveal one of the visiting mermaids. These “sea women” of lore can be viewed up close behind the glass of a giant water tank. Naturally curious, a mermaid may surface from the water to interact with onlookers. Getting close to her may mean getting splashed! Watch for the mermaid exhibit in the heart of the festival.The Mcandless Aerial Troupe will be on hand to perform acts of anti-gravity grace, including aerial acrobatics, long distance drops, hanging “Spanish web” rope maneuvers and more.
The Acromaniacs will show off an array of thrilling acrobatics including “extreme flipping” and body balancing stunts combined with comedy. Also watch for Dallas, a well-known Bay Area performer combining comedy and juggling, as well as amazing feats of strength and balance.Donning his trademark color orange, Stunt comedian Wacky Chad combines clowning with such stunts as carrying passengers on a miniature bicycle to balancing shopping carts on his face!
His extreme pogo stick stunts will amaze festival-goers and his comedy antics will keep visitors in stitches. Seasoned magician, mentalist and entertainer Anton James will display a variety of illusions, including assorted magic tricks large and small, mind reading and “mind games,” and other entertainment in a high energy style.Capping off the festivities, the Fireshow by Mayhem will showcase a troupe of performers who will dance with, play with, manipulate, swallow and have full body contact with fire.
The finale includes a “rocket staff” spun by a performer like a baton with live fireworks attached to each end. Audience members gather in a circle surrounding the performance area and are able to view the pyrotechnics from close up.Also watch for face painters, balloon artists, stilt walkers, drummers, a “living statue” and more street entertainers throughout the day.
The fire show returns to Geckofest by popular demand and has thrilled audiences on every occasion.
Other costumed performers, including pirates, gypsies, faeries, and of course geckos will be strolling through the village during Geckofest, creating a quirky, vibrant and colorful scene enjoyable for visitors of all ages.
Geckofest visitors are encouraged to come in costume.
Many of the Geckofest performers will also march alongside costumed visitors in the annual Walking Parade, which will be led by Gulfport’s Mayor Emeritus, and include the “o-FISH-al” Gecko Goddess, as well as the new Gecko Queen and her Court.
A costume contest with prizes will be held following the parade for children and adults.
Geckofest is sponsored by the Gulfport Merchants Association, and produced by SIK Promotions.
For more information, please visit www.Gulfportma.com, www.geckofest.com or call 727-322-5217.
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| Mishou Sanchez, "Mishou", from Geisha Ninja Series. |
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| Mishou Sanchez, "Sophia", Geisha Ninja Series |
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| Mishou Sanchez, "Mitzi", Geisha Ninja Series. |
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| Gallery view, all work shown by Mishou Sanchez. |
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| Professor Pollini lectures on Germanicus |
The statue of Germanicus with its travertine base was discovered in 1963 outside the Porta Romana of the town along the ancient via Amerina. That the statue was found smashed into a number of fragments indicates that it did not fall accidentally from its base but was attacked, quite likely by Christians in the Late Antique period. The statue had probably been set up originally in an imperial shrine in connection with the ludi iuvenum (games of the local pre- or para-military youth organization known as the luventus) that would have taken place in the campus of America outside the city walls.
Because it is a work of high quality, the statue was undoubtedly produced in a workshop in Rome and then transported to Ameria, where it was set up.
The muscle breastplate is decorated with a plethora of appliqué figures symbolizing various aspects of victory. The central figures depict the ambush of the Trojan youth Troilos, son of King Priam, by the Greek hero Achilles. Represented above and rising out of a series of stylized sea waves is the winged sea monster Scylla hurling a rock in her upraised right hand. Flanking either side of the central scene of Troilos and Achilles and located just under the cuirass’s arm-openings are winged Victories. On the back of the cuirass is represented an incense-burner (thymiaterion), on either side of which are posed two Spartan female dancers (Lacaenae Saltantes), who celebrate a victory dance with baskets (kalathiskoi) on their heads. Circling the bottom of the cuirass are two rows of lambrequins (pteryges), that is, decorated leather straps. The upper row of straps features apotropaic motifs (symbols used to ward off evil), consisting of alternating heads of lions and bearded satyrs; the lower row, stylized victory palmettes.
All the figurative and decorative elements represented on the cuirass have reference to military victory. The sea monster Scylla, who also serves an apotropaic function, may refer to victorious battles fought in the context of the sea or rivers. Since Roman commanders enjoyed emulating great Greek military personalities of the past, the representation of the legendary hero Achilles in the central composition would have been a suitable model, even though he slays here one of Rome’s ancestors, the Trojan prince Troilos. Although this might seem an odd subject to celebrate on the cuirass of a Roman commander, it should be remembered that without the fall of Troy there would be no Rome; and it was one of the prophecies that Troy would not fall if Troilos reached the age of 20 (Plaut. Bacch. 951-954; Mythographi Vaticani. I. 210). Therefore, this was all part of the divine plan! Achilles, moreover, was a model for great Roman leaders in Latin literature. In his famous messianic Eclogue (4.35-36), Vergil foretells the birth of a child (most likely the future Augustus), who as savior of Rome would bring peace to the world after military victories on land and sea. In the context of the wars that preceded the advent of this new Golden Age of peace, Vergil likened the great future Roman leader to Achilles: Erunt etiam altera bella atque iterum ad Troiam magnus mittetur Achilles (“There will also be other wars and a great Achilles will be sent again to Troy”). Therefore, the Achillean imagery on the cuirass has a dual meaning. The figural program of the statue’s cuirass referencing victory would also have been suitable for an original portrait statue of Caligula. Despite his aborted invasion of Britain in 39, Caligula celebrated a triumph in Rome for a sea victory over the sea-god Oceanus (Suetonius, Vita Tib. 46-47; Cassius Dio 59.27.1-4). This statue with cuirass heralding military victory could also have conveniently served to honor Germanicus, who won battles against the Germans on the Rhine and Weser and along the coast of the North Sea, for which he was awarded a triumph, as already noted. A transformation from an image of Caligula to one of Germanicus would have taken place after Caligula’s death in 41 A.D., at which time Claudius (10 B.C. - 54 A.D.), the uncle of Caligula and the brother of Germanicus, became emperor.
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| Mitzi Gordon's car, Jennifer Kosharek children. |
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| M. Gordon (ft) and J. Kosharek (r) art cars. |
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| Mitzi Gordon and her art car. |
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