This movie was the centerpiece of a 3D attraction at Disneyland in the 80's. It looks dated "boots" (that means really dated for those fo you who don't speak ghomo...lol). Because it was in 3D originally you'll notice sometimes stuff just sits there front and center and you may wonder why, but it was a 3D effect in the special theater.

Also, as a special added bonus for the 3 people in the whole world who haven't seen it yet I dropped in the video of the inmates in some Asian prison performing the Thriller routine. It is hysterical.

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So yesterday I am laying in my bed getting some photo editing done when all of a sudden it's like night time dark outside. My first thought was am I right with Jesus? LOL. My second thought was damn I have an opening coming up can't this wait???? LOL

I looked out the window to see a scene from CNN with an old van ablaze and the brand new Mercedes SUV next to it starting to burn as well. I grabbed my camera, snapped a few pics and then put some clothes on and went downstairs to get a few more shots. Here's a sampling of what I saw.

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With ten years experience in the field of digital arts he is one of the most sought after image-makers working today. Having originally come from an interior design background, the progression to digital arts was a natural one.

Specializing in digital illustration ranging from 2d vector work, photo-montage, image-manipulation and 3d modelling, Vince’s work has continued to develop and inspire creating vibrant, innovative and evocative artwork. Imprementing a variety of elements from photographs to typography and vector illustration his compositions conceal a broad palette. Having a great eye for detail he is always pushing the boundaries and describes his style as contemporary but with a twist of retro.

Vince’s highly versatile work can be found anywhere internationally from mobile phone screensavers, VIP lounges through to luxury apartments and is starting to get the recognition it highly deserves.
His work is regularly featured in design and industry publications such as Advanced Photoshop, IDN, Computer Arts Projects and Digital Arts

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Last weekend a collector of my work hosted a private salon for me at his Harlem condo. It was a great evening for all and I actually sold some art as well. I like these types of events alot because they're a great way for me to meet people who may be interested in the work. They're also a great opportunity for me to accomplish my greater goal of sharing fine art with people who may have not been exposed to a lot of fine art growing up.

The evening was chilled and relaxed. Guests asked questions about the work and why I do it. Of course everyone got to mingle and network with each other as well and it was a really cool grown and sexy kind of event. They were even a handful of familiar faces there as well. It's such a small world.

I will be participating in a series of these events over the course of the next year in various cities nationwide. If you are a collector or potential collector who is interested in hosting an event like this in your city please contact my rep Jarvis DuBois(check my website for contact information - www.rickyday.net) and we'll see if we can make it fit into this crazy schedule of mine.

Have a great day and make sure you go vote.

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He's a young aspiring model from Tenn. who is based here in New York. Great kid, good man and driven to succeed. Agents, casting directors and potential fans check him out on myspace at http://www.myspace.com

copyright 2008 Ricky Day Photography

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waz better?

to be a white, wealthy, married investment banker living on the upper east side who just got laid off

or single, middle class, latino, gay and living in harlem?

your answer says a lot about u

what is it?

ciao

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When I am painting the are 3 basic playlists I listen to. One is current hip hop and r&b, the second is this really moody mix of Sade, MeShell Ndegeocello, Duffy and stuff like that. My favorite playlist is my 80's joint complete with Prince, David Bowie, Madonna, British New Wave and the flashback video artist for today...Talking Heads.

This was one of my favorite bands in the 80's. They were clever, quirky, funky and unique. They were Talking Heads. They were so hot that the lead singer (David Byrne) went solo (no surprise) and had a successful career. What was a surprise is that another member Tina Weymoth also did her own thing and she created the classic club jam Genius of Love. Enjoy them both and enjoy the rest of this cold fall day.

Here's your pop for the day.

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I like people who chart their own course down, around and through this marathon called life. I dig people who are fearlessly true to self. Who dare to be different. Not that kind of different that is forced or faked in an effort to stand out, but people who by just choosing to play the cards they have been dealt find a way to excel in their own special way.

This profile in courage, creativity and passion is about one of those people: Grace Jones. The following profile comes from information I found in Wikipedia (man I love that website...yeah I'm that nerd who used to read the dictionary and encyclopedias for fun as a kid...lol).

I hope you enjoy the profile and are inspired to go read up further on Grace Jones or find some information on someone who inspires you.

Jones was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, the daughter of Marjorie and Robert W. Jones, who was a politician and Apostolic clergyman. Her parents took Grace and her brother Christian, to relocate to Syracuse, New York in 1965. Before becoming a successful model in New York City and Paris, Jones studied theatre at Syracuse University.

Musical career

1981 album Nightclubbing, portrait by Jean-Paul Goude. Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance club hits and a large gay following. The three disco albums she recorded — Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), and Muse (1979) — generated considerable success in that market. These albums consisted of pop melodies, such as "All on a Summer's Night" and "Do or Die", set to a disco beat, as well as standards such as "What I Did for Love", "Autumn Leaves", and "Send in the Clowns".

During this period, she also became a muse to Andy Warhol, who photographed her extensively. Jones also accompanied him to famed New York City nightclub Studio 54 on many occasions.
Towards the end of the 1970s, Jones adapted the emerging New Wave music to create a different style for herself. Still with Island, and now working with producers Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell, she released the acclaimed albums Warm Leatherette (1980) and Nightclubbing (1981). These included re-imaginings of songs by Sting, Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Flash and the Pan, The Normal, Ástor Piazzolla and Tom Petty.

Parallel to her musical shift was an equally dramatic visual makeover, created in partnership with stylist Jean-Paul Goude, with whom she had a son. Jones adopted a severe, androgynous look, with square-cut hair and angular, padded clothes. The iconic cover photographs of Nightclubbing and, subsequently, Slave to the Rhythm (1985) exemplified this new identity. To this day, Jones is known for her unique look at least as much as she is for her music. Her collaboration with Sadkin and Blackwell continued with the dub reggae-influenced album Living My Life.

In the mid-1980s, she worked with Trevor Horn for the conceptual musical collage Slave to the Rhythm and with producer Nile Rodgers for Inside Story (1986) - her first album after leaving the Island Records label. The well-received Slave to the Rhythm consisted of several re-workings of the title track (the single of which hit #12 in the UK), while Inside Story produced her last Billboard Hot 100 hit to date, "I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You)", one of several songs she co-wrote with Bruce Woolley.[6] Bulletproof Heart (1989) spawned the #1 U.S. Hot Dance Club Play hit "Love on Top of Love" / "Killer Kiss", produced by C+C Music Factory's David Cole and Robert Clivilles.

Although she has yet to become a truly mainstream recording artist in the United States (with the exception of her featured work on the Arcadia hit single "Election Day"), much of her musical output is still popular on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Dance Airplay charts, and many of her songs are regarded as classics to this day. Jones was able to find mainstream success in the United Kingdom, scoring a number of Top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart. To date, she has released 45 singles (commercial and/or promotional), including several non-album tracks.

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There are those rare moments when a product is created that trancends the confines of commerce. Those moments when form meets function in such a pleasing way that it stirs a special feeling in your soul. These are the moments when capitalism in spite of all its obvious flaws manages to drive a group of people to create a work of art. Apple seems to do this on a regular basis and they've done it again with ther latest offerings in the laptop category.

Introducing the new line of Apple laptops. They are a perfect addtion to this blog, because they are an example of a consumer product that can free the soul to be as expressive and creative as it wants to be while being visually pleasing enough to bring a smile to ones face. Oh yeah and this blog is created on a MacBook Pro.

I'm a Mac, you can have your PC.

The next-generation MacBook.

The new MacBook has something for everyone. Less than an inch thin and 4.5 pounds, it fits your backpack (and your mobile lifestyle). It offers great integrated graphics performance for playing 3D games or creating photo books in iPhoto and making movies in iMovie. And it has all the MacBook features you want at a price you’ll adore. Starting at $1299.

The ultimate mobile powerhouse.

It’s all about performance. If you want desktop-class graphics and a bigger display, you want the all-new MacBook Pro. With a double graphics punch — both integrated and discrete NVIDIA graphics processors — the 15-inch MacBook Pro is fast enough to run the most graphics-intensive games and professional applications, but portable enough to come along for the ride. Starting at $1999.

The world’s thinnest notebook.

MacBook Air travels light. At just 3 pounds, it sets a new standard for mobile computing — without scrimping on the keyboard or display. With a faster architecture, advanced NVIDIA integrated graphics, more storage, a 13.3-inch display, a full-size keyboard, and breakthrough wireless innovations, MacBook Air is engineered to take on the wireless world. Starting at $1799.

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Mickalene Thomas is a baaaaaaaaad sista. She is a talented painter who depicts African American women in intimate household settings using acrylic paint, enamel, and rhinestones. The many decorative patterns of the clothing, blankets, wall coverings and upholstery are mainly inspired by the artist’s cultural identity and her memories of growing up in the 70s.

Other sources of inspiration for Thomas’s work are women, including her mother, 70s icons, and those depicted in print advertisements, album covers and art history. Thomas investigates her self-image, eroticism, black female celebrity, and the marketing of black urban identity. Her work celebrates and critiques black narrative symbols of gender and sexual behavior.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Mickalene Thomas earned her MFA from Yale University, and holds a BFA from Pratt Institute. In 2002-2003 she participated in the Artist-in-Residence program at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Her work has been included in many prominent group exhibitions including Hands on Hands Down and Frequency at the Studio Museum, Greater New York 2005, P.S. 1/MoMa, Wild Girls, Exit Art, New York, NY, and Do You Think I’m Disco, Longwood Art Gallery, Bronx, NY

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LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Don Cornelius, the former host of the television show "Soul Train," was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, police said Saturday.

Don Cornelius was the host of "Soul Train" from 1970 to 1993.

Police were called to his Hollywood Hills home late Friday after someone reported a domestic dispute, Officer Sam Park said.

The 72-year-old producer was taken to jail, where he was booked for investigation of felony domestic violence, Park said. He was released on $50,000 bail and ordered to appear in court next month.

Park said he did not know whom Cornelius was suspected of assaulting.

A call to Cornelius' production office was not immediately returned.

Cornelius started "Soul Train" in 1970 to showcase black music and culture, introducing television audiences to such legendary artists as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White. The series spawned a franchise that includes the Soul Train Music Awards, the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest.

Cornelius stepped down as "Soul Train" host in 1993

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Authorities search for Hudson's nephew

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The mother and brother of singer and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson were found shot to death inside a home Friday.

Police have confirmed Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, is one of the deceased. The other victim has been identified as Jennifer Hudson's brother, Jason S. Hudson, 29.

The home where the bodies were discovered aruond 3 p.m. Friday is at 7019 S. Yale in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. Property records indicate the home belongs to Donerson.

A search is underway for a young boy who is missing from the home. A child, possibly Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, has been missing since Friday morning, according to Area 2 Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson.

Patterson said neighbors reported hearing shot between 8 and 9 a.m.

Police are searching for an SUV that was seen in the area - a 1994 white Suburban, Illinois license plate number X584859.
King may be wearing a tan polo shirt with the number 5 on it and khaki pants.

Patterson said a family member found the body of Donerson in the living room Friday afternoon and left the hose to call police. When authorities arrived, they found Jason Hudson in a bedroom.

Patterson said there was no sign of forced entry.

Jennifer Hudson is a member of Progressive Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side. Despite her daughter's celebrity, Donerson chose to stay and live on the South Side, a decision that did not go unnoticed by the church community.

"That says a lot about the fact of the kind of family Jennifer comes from," said Rev. Willie Davis, Progressive Baptist Church. "They're a family of faith. They want to be attached to their roots. And that's just the sign of the nature of their relationship with God."

Church leaders say they have been told that Jennifer Hudson is flying home to Chicago from Tampa.

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Change is the only constant in this life. The only measure of control we have is to make choices that insure that most of that change is positive in nature. My grandmother is gone from this earth now, but being with my family reminded me that she will always live inside of each of us. Being with my family also showed me how much we all love each other and how much they count on me to be one of the rocks that holds our small family down. I love the responsibility and I totally respect my Moms for being the strongest, kindest, most loving woman in this world. Women are incredible.

Here are a few images from my trip home to LA.

The parents and I

Family and friends graveside

My nephews, cousins and niece

My sister Lisa, cousin Tia and I

My cousin Tia and I

My Aunt Norma (my favorite aunt)

My Uncle Bill and 2nd cousins Jeff and Janea

The Caregivers who took care of my Grandmother during her last year on earth

Rick

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If you wanna see a film that will make you laugh, make you cry and just maybe open your heart to new possibilities check out Noah's Arc Jumping the Broom which opens today in select theaters. It's a great new film based on the popular Logo TV series Noah's Arc written and directed by Patrick Ian Polk.

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This is simply the song I need today. This is not a video. This is an audio file of a great song that's helping me feel a lil better. Thought I'd share it with you.

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When I started doing this blog thing I wasn't sure how I wanted to flow with it. I knew I wanted to share my work. I knew I wanted to share art and pop culture stuff I liked and I knew I wanted to keep my private life private. What I didn't know is how much fun this could be. I also didn't realize how hard it would be to find the right balance between the personal and the popular and to find that right 'tone' to communicate in.

I've received some great feedback from a lot of you and it's appreciated. As I read over the blog today I realized that I really haven't been sharing very much of me with you. I will always remain a fairly private person because that's simply who I am. However, I also realize one of the best things about the internet and blogging in particular is that you can connect in a meaningful way with other people. So I'm going to do just that today.

As I type this, it is the best of times and the worst of times for me. I am in a group exhibition called White Lies-Black Noise that opens on November 18th at Rush Arts in Chelsea. It's my first major show in NYC and I am excited about it. This blog has taken off, I"ve been selling new paintings and drawings recently, I'm presenting an award in a televised awards show in DC in November and I just resumed shooting fashion spreads this past week. My fine art photo portrait series about the Urban LGBT community is proceeding full speed ahead and I have one other surprise up my sleeve.

Simultaneously it has also been the worst of times. The last 18 months have seen my stepfather pass away, my favorite Uncle die suddenly and before he turned 60 years old, my favorite Aunt is losing her eye sight to diabetes and today my grandmother's long, slow and emotionally painful battle with Alzheimers ended in her passing.

It is not my intent to depress you, but to point out that which is most important. I am sharing this because in the midst of all this death and sickness I have realized and remembered some simple truths. Death is a part of life, but what you do with the days, moments and memories created between birth and death is what defines your life. Life is fragile and temporary so it should be enjoyed everyday like it's your last. It's this kind of passionate living that creates fond memories, lasting success and loving bonds that even death cannot destroy.

My mother has shouldered her burdens with grace. The love my family shares transcends the reality of life and death. My grandmother was nearly 101 years old and was been blessed with a good life and a family that loves her and survives to carry her wisdom to the next generation.

When I cry (and I do often), it's tears of joy and gratitude. I am grateful for having people love me unconditionally, I am grateful for the gift of creativity. I am grateful for having been taught how to love without condition. It's this capacity to love that has blessed me with great friends and business associates that have become an extension of my family.

So to each of you I say this:

live each day like your last and love freely expecting NOTHING in return

To do this is to live a full and complete life and to put more joy into the world.

You are what you dream, so dream beautifully and live the results...I do.

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Mrs. Tommie E. Mason
November 12, 1907 - October 14, 2008

She always loved me without condition and always made it clear. She taught me to be honest, strong, believe in myself and God and to always be there for my Mother. She supported my every dream and essentially taught me to be a good man. She's the love of my life and today she left the earth forever.

Though she may no longer reside in the body that hugged and kissed and nurtured me, her lessons and her love will be with me forever.

Until we meet again Grandma.

I love you.

Grandmother and me / copyright 2007 ricky day

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Art is all around us. The packaging of the products we use everyday is art and often the products themselves (espcially if Apple products). The songs you hear on the radio are art (even the not so good ones...lol). The clothes on our backs, the acting on TV and yes, even the characters in the video games we play are all art. Think about it, someone has to dream these creatures up, sketch them out, give them life and then present them as part of a complete and often beautiful landscape. One of the best at doing this is the subject my artist profile today: Tetsuya Nomura. Peep his bio below courtesy of Wikipedia.

Tetsuya Nomura (野村 哲也 Nomura Tetsuya?) (born October 8, 1970) is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix (formerly Square). He has been rated by the website Next Generation as the 7th most important and anticipated video game developer of 2007.[2]
Nomura was born in Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. When he was a young man, he worked at a vocational school creating art for advertisements.

In the early 1990s, Square hired him to work as monster designer for Final Fantasy V and then as graphic director and minor character designer for Final Fantasy VI.

Nomura did not gain recognition until 1995, when Square asked him to be the character designer for Final Fantasy VII to replace Yoshitaka Amano, the series' original character designer. It was a huge critical and commercial success and became the definitive role playing game for the PlayStation. In 1998, he worked on both Parasite Eve & Brave Fencer Musashi. In 1997, Nomura worked on 1999's Final Fantasy VIII, a game that achieved commercial success, where he returned as the character designer.

Afterwards, Nomura worked on several other different projects for Square Enix, ranging from character designing in Ehrgeiz for the PlayStation to complete designing and orchestration of "The World Ends With You" for the Nintendo DS. He continued on to design characters for Square's first PlayStation 2 game, The Bouncer, before returning to character designing for the Final Fantasy series with Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, and "Final Fantasy XII". [3]. More recently, he has acted as the director, concept artist, and character designer for the Kingdom Hearts series, which currently includes the title game, the Game Boy Advance sequel Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and the PlayStation 2 sequel Kingdom Hearts II.

Nomura directed the CGI animated film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children which was released on 2005 in Japan and in North America on April 25, 2006, and also wrote some of the lyrics that appear on the soundtrack. This was also Nomura's film debut, and he re-designed the characters as well.

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Check out this interesting new show opening in my hometown later this month. I don't know much about the artist, but it seems very interesting. I think I'm gonna check it out. This show illustrates how art and artists who don't seem so important or groundbreaking at the time are often recognized later as having made significant contributions to art history. Today's CD art work might be tomorrows collectors items.

Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas
OCT 21, 2007–FEB 24, 2008
MOCA Pacific Design Center

Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas traces the graphic art made by Emory Douglas while he worked as minister of culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967 until its discontinuation in the early 1980s. Douglas's powerful visuals helped define the trademark visual style of the group's newspapers, posters, and pamphlets. Douglas's substantial body of work exists as a powerful graphic record of the Black Panthers' legacy, reflecting their development and evolving mission to improve the lives of African Americans by calling for resistance and change, as well providing social services to their communities. With a firm understanding of the need to disseminate information and communicate the party's agenda visually, Douglas's bold illustrations and striking images spoke forcefully to a community ravaged by poverty, police brutality, and poor living conditions. With unmistakable humanism, Douglas portrayed a populace that was emerging from segregation and proudly fighting to assert their rights to equality. Organized by MOCA Ahmanson Curatorial Fellow Sam Durant, the exhibition includes approximately 150 of Douglas's most influential works, which serve as a testament to the efficacy of visual art to communicate a political position.

http://www.moca-la.org/emorydouglas/

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So we have this conundrum that fashionistas and the industry that employs them must face: How do you reconcile the idea of pushing high fashion and haute couture in the present economic and philosophical environment?

Not only are we clearly in a recession, but the very nature of capitalism, consumerism and greed are all topics for heated debate and conversation. As human beings (and Americans) we most certainly appreciate and desire nice things. In and of itself this is not an evil thing. Our economy is driven by the exchange of goods and services for cash so unless someone comes up with some new system over night we'll need to repair what we've got. However, who's to say how much is enough? How much is too much? Where does necessity end and opulence begin? Where is the line and should it ever be crossed?

I hate to drop this on you, but I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER. I have always been a practical guy and satisfied with enough to take care of myself and my family. I may never understand the desire or need for a $10,000 wrist watch or a $100,000 car, but I also don't feel the need to tell someone else what works for them either. I do wonder about the message we send to each other and our children in the choices we make and the images we create. However, as an artist I do appreciate beautiful things and images of beautiful things. Organic and natural or man made and mass produced; beautiful is beautiful.

Dior Homme has come out with the Lumiere du Nord collection of accessories for fall/winter 2008/2009. The collection consists of 2 patent calfskin shoes, a boot and high-top sneaker. There are also four men’s bags including a messenger, shopper, backpack and a weekend bag. In addition to the patent calfskin all accessories in the Lumiere du Nord collection feature silver finishes.

Peep these and enjoy. While you contemplate the questions I asked. I'd love to hear back from you.

Ricky

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Digital photograph and collage (copyright 2008 RickyDay.net)

www.RickyDay.net

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"When I was your age we walked 5 miles to school in the snow in snow up to our knees." " When I was in college we had to type our papers on typewriters and if we made a mistake we had to use white out to correct the mistakes and it never worked and made us sick in the process." These are the types of things our parents said to us and we now say to our kids and younger siblings.

These types of statements are funny yet true. Things most definitely have changed and they always do. What amazes me is how technology makes everything sooooooooooo immediate. Humans have always built the future on a foundation laid in the past, but now we can actually witness this process in action.

Awhile back I introduced you guys to a super talented musician named Ronald Jenkees. Then I showed you a video a talented visual artist did using his music. Now another musician has done a virtual jam session where he takes a Ronald video and original composition and "jams" with him as tho they were together in the same room.

I love the power of the internet to make the world a much smaller and more intimate place. There's something kind of comforting about that to me on a cold fall night here alone in my studio. After all the purpose of my art is to demonstrate the reality that we are one or as my boy Adam Irby often says "we are all much more alike than we are different." Images can and do create a perceived reality. I'm out to use them for the common good.

You hip hop or soul music heads may not dig this so much since it's rock music, but the talent and joy transcends.

Enjoy.

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Thaddeus Strode - In The Wild With The Ox (Herding the Bodhi Mind), 2006
Collection of Hiroshi Taguchi, Tokyo / Courtesy of Galerie Michael Janssen, Cologn

If you love Rock and Roll and you dig art, this is the perfect synthesis of the two. The Museum of Contemporary Art n Chicago is hosting this cool show. I'm actually thinking about going to check it out.

Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967 is the most serious and comprehensive look at the intimate and inspired relationship between the visual arts and rock-and-roll culture to date, charting their intersection through works of art, album covers, music videos, and other materials. The exhibition addresses the importance of specific cities such as London, New York, Los Angeles, and Cologne, Germany; rock-and-roll’s style, celebrity, and identity politics in art; the experience, energy, and sense of devotion rock music inspires; and the dual role that many individuals play in both the sonic and visual realms.

Since the late 1950s, rock and roll has undeniably impacted society while also drastically changing with the times. Artists from the ’60s to the present have maintained a strong connection to rock, beginning with Andy Warhol’s involvement with The Velvet Underground (which released its Warhol-produced landmark album The Velvet Underground & Nico in 1967--the same year the MCA opened its doors). Many noted rock musicians including Bryan Ferry, John Lennon, and Peter Townshend attended art schools, and more recently, artists such as Slater Bradley, Mike Kelley, and Raymond Pettibon have created album covers and music videos that transcend both art and music genres.

Robert Longo Men in The Cities series

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I have no intentions of getting too political, but this is simply entertaining and on point. Check it out and send me some feedback. It's directed by my friend and old roomate in California named Vaughn Verdi.

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Don't play games and please don't play yaself. Make sure you are registered to vote, particularly my young friends. The youth vote is likely to make the difference in this race. I aint gonna tell you who to vote for, but you def need to make your voice heard. As we all now painfully are aware elections and leadership often have dire consequences. Have you seen your life savings recently?

www.declareyourself.com

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In the first of many giveaways and exclusives to come you can win the new Labelle CD right here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's real simple...JUST BE AMONG THE FIRST 5 PEOPLE TO EMAIL ME AT UPTOWNSUN@AOL.COM WITH LABELLE IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND THE CD IS YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I appreciate you "POPPING" in to visit Urban Pop Life

Check out the new single right here

RollOut

Ricky

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Next up in my continuing series of artist profiles is Betye Saar. This woman's work is passionate, thoughtful and straight up beautiful. The bio below is from her gallery's website. I hope you enjoy the work as much as I do and make sure to see her work wherever it is.

Betye Saar, born in Los Angeles, received her B.A. from the University of California (1949) and pursued graduate studies at California State University at Long Beach, the University of Southern California, and California State University at Northridge.

Saar is known for her multimedia collages, box assemblages, altars, and installations consisting of found materials. She has explained, “I am intrigued with combining the remnant of memories, fragments of relics and ordinary objects, with the components of technology. It’s a way of delving into the past and reaching into the future simultaneously.” In her work, Saar voices her political, racial, religious, and gender concerns in an effort to “reach across the barriers of art and life, to bridge cultural diversities, and forge new understandings.”

In 1998, with the series Workers + Warriors, Saar returned to the image of Aunt Jemima, a theme explored in her celebrated 1972 assemblage, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima. Subsequent series have sought to reveal marginalized or hidden histories – the social invisibility of black Americans in service-oriented jobs, the construction of racial hierarchies based on gradations of skin tone within black communities – and to explore the ways that objects accumulate the memories and histories of their owners.

Saar has received numerous awards of distinction including two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships (1974, 1984), a J. Paul Getty Fund for the Visual Arts Fellowship (1990), and a Flintridge Foundation Visual Artists Award (1998). In 1994, she and artist John Otterbridge represented the United States at the 22nd São Paulo Biennial in Brazil. In 2005, the University of Michigan Museum of Art organized the traveling exhibition Betye Saar: Extending the Frozen Moment, which examined the use of photographic fragments in her work. A role model for generations of African American women, Saar has raised three daughters, two of whom (Alison and Lezley) are accomplished artists. Saar continues to work and live in Los Angeles.

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“I didn’t know if we still had it but we have a sound no one else has…” Patti LaBelle

“It’s as if we never stopped. The thread just continues…” Nona Hendryx

“It’s a sound piece of music - this new album definitely represents Labelle today…” Sarah Dash

YES IT'S TRUE...LABELLE IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the history of female groups, none has ever achieved the longevity, or experienced the kind of creative evolution, that Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash have. Since their original formation at the dawn of the girl-group era as The Bluebelles (with then-fourth member Cindy Birdsong) in 1961, through their incarnation as R&B powerhouse (Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles), and on to their pioneering years as the unprecedented rock-soul-funk trio Labelle, Hendryx, LaBelle and Dash have remained peerless.

These three women spent fifteen years together with a consistent commitment to bringing energy, excitement and soul power to live performances, and cutting-edge innovation to a series of classic albums until 1976, when they separated without fanfare to pursue individual goals and aspirations. Thirty-two years later, with the release of a brand new Verve Records album (featuring such top notch producers as Lenny Kravitz, Gamble & Huff, and Wyclef Jean), the aptly titled Back to Now, Labelle is back on center stage.

Listen to their lead single "Roll Out"

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Some artists are great singers. Some artists are incredible musicians. Some artists record well, but are mediocre live and of course there are others who are exactly the opposite. There are a handful of artists who are iconic. Artists who are simply incredible entertainers who transcend the limitations of their natural musical abilities and connect with the masses in a very visceral and almost spiritual way. Last night I spent 2 and a half hours with such an icon: Madonna.

Her Sticky and Sweet tour landed in the U.S. and man was it worth the high price of admission ($168 not counting the transit trip from hell to get to and from Jersey).

Madonna puts on a show like no one else. She like Janet will never wow anyone solely based on vocal ability. I love me some Janet, but I have to stop the comparison there. Madonna is like a mad scientist who never grows tired of experimenting with new ways to keep herself and her audience inspired and entertained and she NEVER REPEATS HERSELF!!!!!

As a pop star you HAVE TO PLAY THE SAME OLD SONGS more than any true artist would ever want to. However, Madonna works with her band and set designers to delivery classic material in inventive new ways that never cease to amaze.

After 2 hours of bumping, grinding, singing, dancing and even double dutch jump roping Madonna found it within herself to deliver a spiritually inspired and very soulfful version of "Like A Prayer" that nearly brought the audience around me (and yeah me too...) to tears.

Bottom line...the chick is bad!

Janet I get to check out your new tour in 2 weeks. You betta bring ya "A" game baby cause Madonna put it on me last night!

...and I'm out.

P.S. If you're going to see Janet in New Jersey make sure you plan out your trip in advance. The shuttle bus from Port Authority doesn't run anymore and there is a whole new train to a shuttle bus trip from hell that you'd better allow plenty of time for.

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My new show, Madonna, Labelle and more! from Ricky Day on Vimeo.

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Hot N Cold

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