think we all need at least one really nice positive thing about the
entertainment business every single day of the year, including weekends.
Sometimes it may be something simple, like a video that showcases
something fun and sometimes it may be a movie poster that embraces the
aesthetic we all want Hollywood to aspire to. Sometimes it may be a
long-winded diatribe. Sometimes it’ll be from the staff and extended
family of CHUD.com. Maybe even you readers can get in on it. So, take
this to the bank. Every day, you will get a little bit of positivity
from one column a day here. Take it with you. Maybe it’ll help you
through a bad day or give folks some fun things to hunt down in their
busy celluloid digesting day.
8.30.10
By Nick Nunziata (Author Page, Facebook Page, Twitter Page)
What I’m Thankful For:
Hieronymus Bosch.
am not the go-to person for fine art. My tastes are incomplete and tend to focus on shit that most people would dismiss as a curiosity and little else. I worship the work of Josh Keyes. I love photographer Peter Lik’s vistas. Frazetta was amazing. The list goes on, but how single images speak to me is not something I can ramble on about as I would a film. Adversely, finding a succinct summary is even more elusive and I truly think it’s a special skill to be able to distill art and the emotional connection so well. One of the thing that makes someone like Guillermo del Toro such a powerhouse is hearing him discuss ANYTHING, even things that veer from his brand. There’s so much knowledge and connective tissue there that showcase how all these worlds tie together to influence his craft. The breadth of knowledge is vast.
I don’t have that. What I do have is intense personal connections to art and artists. And none is stronger than to Hieronymous Bosch, a peculiar man who’s been dead for half Yoda’s lifetime.
For someone to have been able to channel his imagination in such a macabre, funny, weird, poetic, and deeply symbolic way is inspiring in any age. That it’s from the 1400’s & 1500’s makes it even more impactful. There are plenty of movements in art and images from as far back as recorded history goes that evokes the kind of emotional response this kind of work gets but something about this one artist ties them all together in a way that is very special. H.R. Giger’s amazing in his one niche and it’s cool and Salvador Dali’s style was neat but those guys seem to really know who their audience is and milk it for all its worth. Bosch and his many detailed, beautiful, and haunting works is in a class all his own and I can get lost in his paintings at any time of any day and it energizes me, inspires me, humbles me, and reminds me how malleable and flexible this world still is for us futurefolk way ahead in the 2010’s.
Thanks, Hieronymous!
Check out his body of work.
See the trailer for a really looking animated flick based on his Garden of Earthly Delights.
Requirements:
Well written, fun, and not self-promotional. Also, no pseudonyms or
fake names. Stand up and be proud of your opinions. MESSAGE BOARD SUBMISSION THREAD or EMAIL YOUR IDEA TO ME.