Contrasting

I haven’t been very keen on writing about the arts lately, but I know I should. The only one that has been taking my time is literature, but of the scientific type. Soon I’ll be free to explore this world a little more.

For the moment I can only recommend attention to the work of two young Brazilian artists, rare painters in this sculpture-loving land:

João Maciel and Rodrigo Mogiz.

Maciel's and Mogiz's work side by side

While the first one is deeply concerned with street art and graffiti-like representations of urban life and violence, the second chooses the female form and color subtleties as his main subjects. A truly great contrast.

The colorfulness of João Maciel‘s expressive views of modern life move me far more than Mogiz‘s, but by combining the both one gets a truthful glimpse of what Brazilian city life can be, with all its extremes.

If you are in Belo Horizonte, checking their exhibition at Belizário Art Gallery is a must.

Less on clichés

People questioned me on my views on Mario Testino‘s new book. Just so everyone knows:

I don’t dislike Testino, I actually think he’s very nice, a nice person.

I don’t dislike Rio, I actually think it’s one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I don’t dislike hot people, I actually need to have a look at beauty to strengthen my resolve sometimes.

The usual view of Rio

What I do dislike, though, is cliché. Rio has so exhaustively been shown as the land of the sexy that it just bores me to be faced with yet another batch of its people sexiness.

I truly expected more from MaRio de Janeiro Testino.

As Miranda Pristley once said: My God, I live on hope. On hope for novelty.

Scorching heat on the table

My French neighbors are currently on a visit here in the country. It was more than lovely to see them again and I especially appreciated the fact that we more than once got drunk with plenty of caipirinhas during lunch.

We had a nice time here in the city, but then they had to continue the tour while I had to stay and study and work. They are now exploring Rio.

Mario's Rio

Although I love the city and its magic, I’m not so fond of the people there. They are so open and so outgoing it almost shocks me. Yes, they do have a reputation for being hot, but we know how it usually goes: the prettier and hotter, the dumber and shallower (forgive me for the cliché).

Following the same train of thought, I’ve recently taken a look at Mario Testino‘s new photography book, MaRio de Janeiro Testino (Taschen, 2009). Although it’s really nice to look at the pictures and to notice and enjoy the view of those people’s sexiness, that’s about where it ends, just it where it begins.

Of course I love beauty, but there’s got to be more.

For everyone who does not care about this, just have fun and display this one much-too-shown side of the city in a nice little spot on your coffee table.

A blond beauty from B

Getting my mind off complicated theorical issues can be quite easy, as long as I’ve got something more interesting to pay attention to.

In my crusade against clichés, I hereby show the world just a little bit of the diversity of looks we get in this enormously varied country of ours.

 

Rodrigo Calazans

 

Among other types of ethnicities, I’d like to emphasize that we also have blonds here. And they are beautiful too.

Time to relax

 

Wait and see

Life-changing events are about to take place.

More on that later.

 

My mind at full speed

So help me divine creatures.

 

Dreamy job offer

I was recently offered a managerial position within my company. The proposed salary was quite interesting and the amount of power I would have was tempting. And besides, the promotion would look very good on my CV. I turned it down.

Although interesting, this kind of work so closely tied to office obligations, time constraints and to being “the boss” is just not for me.

I told my boss that if I accepted it, I would probably just slowly die due to monthly-report-writing complications. It would – and I’m positive about this, bore me to death.

I’d much rather work with something that would bring about creativity and inspiration; something that can motivate me to contribute with something truly valuable to the world (according to my views, of course).

This is the sort of work imagery that fills my dreams about my dream work:

Lovely pop music (this Swedish duo is so sweetly pretentious), headpieces by Keko Hainswheeler, gold clothes by Les Hommes, designer boots, flowers and a piano.

If only she had offered me that.

Brazilian heat: beauty from B

It’s been so hot in here lately it’s making me lose my senses.

Losing one’s senses usually means that one becomes subject to one’s desires and most primitive impulses.

Which brings us back to sex. Which brings us to Diego Fragoso, a delight:

 

Diego Fragoso

 

 

No wonder people say they are hot when they are sexually excited. And that is why, my friends, people say Brazilians are so hot in bed, in both senses.

Sex sells: living with Lady Gaga

It is just humanly impossible to ignore Lady Gaga. She is so present in everybody’s lives it feels like we’re actually living with her.

The worst part: I actually like the woman. Who can look at those insanely outrageous outfits and not laugh just a little? She can always get a smile from me.

And although I’m quite weary of the overexposure of sex (done ad nauseam), I can’t deny the appeal it has.

Also, I just love the fact that she tries so hard to hide the fact that that’s all a character, all thought of and truly funny and amusing. I would love to see her when she wakes up, or after a shower. Where would Gaga go?

 

Smile!

Down the drain, probably. Love ya, Girl!

 

 

 

Corruption Museum

Everyone who knows even just a little about Brazilian history is quite aware of the fact that corruption is an endemic and painfully present issue in this society.

It is so deeply rooted in so many aspects of everyday life that most Brazilians feel they

are almost incapable of doing anything to fight it. Demonstrations, marches, press coverage and the works have been tried and little result is to be seen.

Then, in a spark of tremendously positive creativity, a group of journalists united with a top team of architects and designers to develop the Corruption Museum Project.

The online museum exhibits corruption scandals and corrupt politicians as if they were pieces shown in museum galleries and, just as in a real museum, they are there to constantly remind Brazilian people of their representants’ dirty histories.

It is supposed to be but a virtual space, but more and more people have been talking about actually building the space. I stand by it 200%.

The museum is the best idea I’ve heard about in ages. Time to change.

 

 

Indie music for sensual sex

It has been known since the invention of the first bone flute by the cavemen that music is a great addition to sex. It can make one go faster, slower, get in the mood and of course fake a headache using the loud noise as an excuse for avoiding intercourse. I for one prefer songs that make me more aware of all my senses.

With that thought in mind, I searched my I-pod for the best songs to feel more sensual when having sex. Here’s my list:

• The xx – Crystalised
• Bat for Lashes – Daniel
• Coco – Drain You
• PJ Harvey – Catherine
• La Roux – Cover My Eyes
• Cut Copy – Saturdays

 

Here’s the video for Crystalised:

The list is given. If you’re ever having sex with me, you know how to proceed.

Be my hero in Hero or Luuc at me

I know it’s been documented already and many people are quite aware of the fact, but I just cannot miss the opportunity to praise and talk about the newest addition to the world’s greatest fashion-oriented publications: Hero Magazine.

This is a bi-yearly magazine which focuses on the new faces that are very likely make people startle when seen on a catwalk or picture. What’s most interesting about it is the fact that it only advertises male models.

As an all-time defender and propagator of everything even remotely linked to men’s fashion, I stand by the British zine just about 200%.

Among other treats, it portraits beauties such as this:

Luuc Brans, the new It-everything

In my eyes and mind, a superhero.

Renewal with Rubin Steiner

Last Saturday I attended a surprisingly nice concert I feel should tell everyone about.

In a restored old fabric factory, the lovely French group Rubin Steiner performed energetically, yet gracefully, in the refreshing electronic music festival Eletronika here in Belo Horizonte.

When I first knew them, they were this really cool and hype group who used samples from old songs mixing them with electronic beats and vocal interventions. Years later, when I had almost forgotten about them and in a time when everybody is doing what they did, the come here again and impress me.

Here’s a little taste, but know that the live performance is incredibly better:

Resting with Rimbaud

I’ve recently come across an old edition of a magazine containing a list of the 100 most important literary works of History. To my surprise, the work of Arthur Rimbaud was mentioned in it.

Rimbaud was a young poet who had a turbulent life full of controversy and beauty in his love for men, especially for Verlaine, his most famous partner.

Here’s one of my favorite poems of his, which depicts a young man lied in a valley in the middle of the summer. A beautiful description of youth and its whirlwinds:

The Sleeper in the Valley

It is a green hollow where a stream gurgles,
Crazily catching silver rags of itself on the grasses;
Where the sun shines from the proud mountain:
It is a little valley bubbling over with light.

A young soldier, open-mouthed, bare-headed,
With the nape of his neck bathed in cool blue cresses,
Sleeps; he is stretched out on the grass, under the sky,
Pale on his green bed where the light falls like rain.

His feet in the yellow flags, he lies sleeping. Smiling as
A sick child might smile, he is having a nap:
Cradle him warmly, Nature: he is cold.

No odour makes his nostrils quiver;
He sleeps in the sun, his hand on his breast
At peace. There are two red holes in his right side.

 

I love when artistic expectations are not met.

Strive to thrive

Today I worked so hard and so much that I feel like all my energy has been sucked out of me.

Luckily, all I’ve done so far was productive and hopefully will have positive consequences in the future.

Eyes closing now. Good night.

Red earth

I cannot get this PJ Harvey song out of my head.

To me, White Chalk talks about the everlasting impact your origins have on your life. No matter how hard you try, you will always end up where you first started. Culture and family wise.

I just adore the metaphor of the mountains to explore the idea of ancestral influence. Coming from a mountainous region, I can feel daily the power this topography has on us.

And I know these hills will rot my bones.