Kurt Cobain's Art

I would like to devote this post to my favourite performer's artwork.

Although known mostly for his musical accomplishment, Kurt Cobain was also a gifted visual artist. His better known works are the numerous record covers that he designed for his band Nirvana, but beyond those, he also created a vast amount of paintings, drawings, sculptures, collages and sound/video montages.

Here are some of his works which impress me a lot:

Paintings

Painting of an alien-like figure, believed to be a self portrait

Painting of a fetus surrounded by white, thorn-like capillaries.

It is estimated to have been made between 1987-1989.

Oil on canvas painting of a large, ghostly marionette cradling a poppy flower in the crook of it's arm, whilst a child-like marionette doll clings to it's shoulder, used for the front cover of the Incesticide release.

   Painting made on the back of a board game of an alien-like figure, crouched over and weeping?, with faces of a woman and a mustached man in the background. This painting is estimated to have been made between 1987-1989.

Painting of a child with a warped eye and crooked smile, dressed in a cloak and pointed hat and surrounded by white match-stick figures. This painting is estimated to have been made between 1987-1989.

Painting of a skinny figure surrounded by brightly colored flowers.

            Airbrush illustration of a guitarist playing in the middle of an abstract landscape, circa 1982-84. This piece was painted as a practice sketch before completing a final school assignment.

Oil on canvas painting of a suspended/hanging marionette, with a small cat sitting in the corner. Titled "Rectal abscesses, Conjunctivitis, Spinabifida", this painting is estimated to have been made in 1992.

Drawings

Drawing of a homeless man

Pencil on paper caricature of Ronald Reagan. Drawn during Kurt's 1st year at Aberdeen's Weatherwax High School

Ink on paper design of a joke album cover, titled "NIRVANA Sings... songs of DEVO WIPERS VASELINES & NIRVANA"

 Ink on paper comic strip, titled "Mr Moustache"

'Personalized' Hallmark card, titled "The Many Moods Of Kurdt Kobain"

Collages

An assemblage of magazine cutouts, anatomical models and toy figures.

Chim Chim toy figure set against a collage of medical magazine cutouts used for the inlay of the Nevermind release.

  An assemblage of Stargazer lilies and anatomical models, photographed by Charles Peterson for the reverse cover of the In Utero release.

Madonna statue fragments with three birth announcement dolls, arranged in a suitcase.

Music practice

 

I enjoy using the web site http://www.justinguitar.com with free video lessons either for beginners or skilled guitar players. There are some useful basic techniques and perfect song covers performed by Justin Sandercoe. Besides, while watching the lessons one is listening to the native English speaker and can pick up some terms connected with playing music. I am really satisfied with Justin's explanations and comments.
So if you are searching for good and pleasant video guitar lessons, it is the best option, in my opinion (though I am not a professional of course).

Essay: Shopping

Nowadays shopping is almost ubiquitous due to our developed urban civilization. It is not only satisfying basic needs of consumers, but is becoming a world-wide obsession.

There are numerous types of retail establishments which cater for a wide range of customers with different backgrounds and ages. Among them there are department stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets and so on. There are a number of advantages of shopping in these big stores. It stands to reason that it is much more convenient to buy all you need at once than to look for different kinds of shops, which can be rather tiresome. Besides, the prices are usually reasonable and intended for the general public. So it is obvious that shopping in big modern stores is sensible.

However, it could be argued that this way of shopping is ideal and suitable for all the situations, as there are certain disadvantages. One can admit the lack of variety of some specific types of goods. Therefore it is more likely to purchase them in specialized stores. For example, in antique shops, boutiques, and gift shops the public can find unique goods. Some stores sell secondhand goods. Fortunately, traditional small shops such as bakery, grocery, florist’s, book stores still have their customers.

As for the process of shopping itself, I would like to stress that there is a tendency of exaggerating its importance. Where it was once for the necessities of life, on our daily basis, shopping is now a hobby or even addiction which devours much time and money. It especially concerns large retail chains which serve as the means of the economic expansion. Today’s attitude towards shopping proves the ecstasy of consumption.

Universally speaking

Where's your will to be weird? 

A vain desire for purity and transcendence...

Disorderly magic 

While reading some articles devoted to the band "Joy Division" and its leader Ian Curtis, I came across the deep  understanding of the phenomenon of rock'n'roll and its appeal

rock and roll, the very real greedy myth of it, the sly shifting life of it, loves early death and gaudy sacrifice. The rock and roll myth, the sensation of it, loves death as the lions loved Christians. At the extremes of desire, death proves rock and roll, certifies its acts of rebellion. 

I've read the following essay and I could't help admiring the author's style of writing, esoterism and abundance of allusions.
http://chabrieres.pagesperso-orange.fr/texts/lichtundblindheit.html

There are things known and things unknown and in between are the doors. 

Jim Morrison