Contributing artist spotlight: Osiris Rain

  Artist Osiris Rain contributes his gorgeous painting for us!

 

 

This beautiful little painting from classically trained painter Osiris Rain, a North Carolina based artist known for his contemporary figure paintings. This painting of a reclining nude is streaked with turquoise and pink, giving it a sunny, pleasant feel. 

Bid on this painting: HERE

Osiris Rain trained at the Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy where he studied the masterpieces of the Renaissance firsthand. Later he went on to study in the Odd Nerdrum apprenticeship program in Stavern, Norway. Learn more about Osiris' work here: http://www.osirisrainstudios.com/

During out post production drive, we have 3 new ways to contribute!

Ebay auction of art, music and more: appleseeds Ebay Auction

Contribute $250 or more and make it tax deductible: San Francisco Film Society Fiscal Sponsors page

Contribute directly to appleseeds for any amount or bid on one and only tarot read by Megan Breiseth: appleseeds website

Ashley Perryman Quach in our very own Post Production Auction: 6 days to go!

You don't own any artwork by Ashley? Wish you did?

Well, check out her fantabulous artwork in our post production auction:
appleseeds EBay auction: Ashley

Here's a little more about Ashley:
Ashley Perryman Quach, Writer and Executive Producer on appleseeds, hails from North Carolina and brings with her the oral traditions of the South. Her stories are vivid, peppered with tragic heroes and told with the comfortable finesse of a Delta troubadour. Her writing career bloomed from the obsessive character profiles that filled notebooks when she was enrolled in a Stanislavsky conservatory.

Her first full-length screenplay, Fire Sale, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences in the quarter-finals for the Nicholl’s fellowship. Since then she has garnered recognition from the Page Awards, Storypros International and Scriptapalooza for her work. In 2012 her newest screenplay Farewell, Great Leader put her in the finals for the National Youth Theatre writing fellowship.

In addition to her writing, Ashley produces a burgeoning comics website, sassquach.com and donates her time to 826 Valencia, a free-to-all tutoring center in the Mission District of San Francisco. 
 

During out post production drive, we have 3 new ways to contribute!

Ebay auction of art, music and more: appleseeds Ebay Auction
Contribute $250 or more and make it tax deductible: San Francisco Film Society Fiscal Sponsors page
Contribute directly to appleseeds for any amount or bid on one and only tarot read by Megan Breiseth: appleseeds website

Post Production Auction: Contributing Artist John Kincade

The Most Awesome John Kincade has donated three of his amazing Snake Oil cartoons to help us raise much needed post production funds!

Bid on his awesome gift at: EBay: appleseeds auction: Snake Oil Cartoons Don't wait, only 7 days left to bid!

About John: John is a former ad man with a dab hand for collage and satire. His work can be seen at Funny Times and NobleWorks and more. Personally, John and his awesome wife Liz Dobbins, are close family friends who spirit and humor color everything they do. So happy to have them in our framily and really happy to share John's smart and always funny Snake Oil Cartoons.
Read more about John and his work: http://snakeoilcartoon.com/

During out post production drive, we have 3 new ways to contribute!

Ebay auction of art, music and more: appleseeds Ebay Auction
Contribute $250 or more and make it tax deductible: San Francisco Film Society Fiscal Sponsors page
Contribute directly to appleseeds for any amount or bid on one and only tarot read by Megan Breiseth: appleseeds website

Does the world of high-fashion use women, art and violence as a tool for controversy?

12 magazine’s beauty editorial Victims of Beauty, which featured models made up to look like victims of horrific crimes, was neatly skewered by Jezebel writer Jenna Sauers this week.

Sauers pegged the spread as a ham-fisted, short-sighted attempt at edginess: “ The high-fashion world in general loves to think of itself as contrarian, élite, and boldly at odds with the tastes and mores of the wider public. It likes to think that it, in fact, leads those tastes. But much of the imagery the fashion industry uses to communicate its messages at best echoes and at worst reinforces some of the wider culture's most negative ideas about women and girls.” 

The magazine got its feathers ruffled at her criticism and wrote back a letter saying their intentions were misconstrued and closed with these questions: “1. How would you perceive those photographs if they were accompanying an <sic> campaign against domestic violence? Would you still think of them as disgusting or would you praise them as brave and thought provoking? Worth the think <sic>, isn’t it? 2. What would you say if those were bespoken men, carefully groomed, but still, terribly injured? Probably nothing, and quite frankly that’s a bit sexist.” 


Let’s set aside the patronizing tone of those questions and talk about what seems to be at the root of the hub-bub: do the photos glorify or promote violence against women? The magazine claims that they did not set out to condone domestic violence but…if that’s true…it would seem that they didn’t publish the pictures with any conscious aim at all beyond shocking their readership.

That’s negligent.
An important part of my development as a writer was a bit of advice a treasured English teacher gave me: if you’re going to put something terrible on paper, have a damn good reason. Shock for shock’s sake cannot withstand public scrutiny and can compromise the value of your work as a whole.

However, where a book or a movie might suffer blowback for splashing on domestic violence like cheap cologne, there doesn’t seem to be the same kind of accountability in fashion. This Bulgarian editorial is only one example in a never-ending parade of paper dolls and mannequins painted, stripped and speared by an industry stocked with professionals who are rapidly running out of ideas.

Let’s not let controversy be a substitute for substance.

What are your expectations of art and artists?

Link to: jezebel.com/: fashions ongoing violence against women

Tom Ford ad: provocative and no one gets hurt

Robyn here - I'd like to add this to the mix. I would like to say that I don't believe that all high-fashion people are cut from the same cloth (no pun intended.) Designer/Artist Tom Ford has always represented women in a positive way. Yes, his fashion and his ads contain scantily clad people sometimes but there is always a playful self-awareness and gender equality to anything he does. His images can be thought-provoking, but you cannot lump him in with a publication like 12 Mag.

I would also argue that publications are not the makers of fashion (except for Vogue and its editor Anna Wintour) and you would never see an editorial as grotesque and women-hating as that in the pages of any country's Vogue. Or Elle. Or any of the other authentic fashion magazines.

I also echo Ashley in the question, what are our expectations of art and artists? And what role do we have as consumers in the production and selling of the underlying violence of those images?

I refuse to put those images on the blog, so please check out the article on Jezebel if you would like to see them. 

--Robyn


about Duendefilms West production of appleseeds: 

Please visit our indiegogo page to find out how we are trying to make a difference both in our short film and the screening/benefits to follow to raise money and awareness around issues of domestic violence and gender representation in film and media.

5 days to go and 20 min Skype perk for just 40$! Hazar!

Ashley Perryman Quach dreaming of Skyping

Been thinking about contributing but keep asking yourself, "who are these people anyway?"

Been wanting to contribute more but keep asking yourself "What is their favorite film? I wonder if they want to hear about my screenplay idea? And what REALLY happened the day Robyn met Angelina Jolie....hmmmm"

The answer to all those is, in the correct order. (let's see how many times I can put Skype in this)
1) 20 minutes, Skype and apple juice should tell you all you need to know about us
2) what's yours? Tell us on Skype.
3) yes!
4)....heh. Skype and you shall know all!

5 DAYS to go and so close... give now if you can and if you have, give a little more because you may want to know about us but we also want to meet you! Because without you, this film would not be getting made. That is the bottom line!

40$ Skype with us and help us reach our goal!!

With all our hearts we thank you!
Appleseeds team

about Duendefilms West production of appleseeds: 

Please visit our indiegogo page to find out how we are trying to make a difference both in our short film and the screening/benefits to follow to raise money and awareness around issues of domestic violence and gender representation in film and media.

Study finds that females are more likely to be put in sexual, violent scenes

Really interesting study on the representation of females in film and media. Every role sends a message to young girls and teens. Every image tells a strong story: what story are we trying to tell with these numbers? How can we change this trend in the film industry?

 Journal of Adolescent Health - April 2012

"Women continue to be under-represented in film overall and twice as likely as males to be seen in sexually explicit or violent scenes, according to a new study from the Annenburg Public Policy Center. The report analyzed 855 top box-office movies from 1950 to 2006, with co-author Dan Romer noting surprise at "the same representation of women today as was prevalent in the 1950s. With women increasingly playing major roles in all walks of life, Hollywood appears to remain in the mindset of a much earlier era."

Continue reading: jahonline.org

Join Duendefilms West and their campaign for 'appleseeds" the film. All proceeds from screenings donated to local and national organizations to stop domestic violence.
Check us out at www.indiegogo.com/appleseeds