Come to Muchmore's at 2 Havemeyer Street in Brooklyn this Friday! My art will be on the walls and the crowd should be a good one because of the Northside Festival. It should be great!
http://www.artslant.com/ny/events/show/281641-paintings-by-jackie-dorage
https://www.facebook.com/Every2ndFriday
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
Elephants
"Elephants" oil on canvas 40x28in
I have been wanting to paint elephants for about two years.
But every time I started developing ideas, I hit a block. There is a massive amount of information, cultural and factual, about elephants that spans the spectrum from a completely anthropomorphized Dumbo to the ivory trade. And a lot of this information is strong, emotionally powerful, and deeply image related.
So, there's where the difficulty was. Elephants are such a loaded topic with such iconic imagery that there's hardly room beyond that. Then again, going too far beyond the imagery and conservation issues becomes dishonest and ignorant. This middle ground is where most of my art is and where my elephant painting came from.
Elephants are unique among threatened animal. The obvious difference is that they're huge land dwellers. So, unlike the Snow Leopard or the Golden Frog, being cryptic is not an option. Also, they don't have the dangerous mystique of other threatened animals like the Polar Bear. This, paired with their ability to live in captivity, makes them a trophy pet for parades, circuses and zoo's. Also, it allows scientists study them immensely to the point where we have a good understanding of their emotional habits, their social structures, and the way they live--all things that are super fashionable in popular science. And, after all of this knowledge, interaction, contact, popularization, they still get wiped out by the masses for ivory.
I'm not wondering why this happens (I get it), it's just an interesting case and frustrating to digest. It's a sad truth--a loved animal, that can't seem to survive.
Their size is another thing I wanted to focus on. They remind us that in our world right now, animal size can do more harm than good. They're massive, but could be swashed like a bug if we don't pay attention. And by "pay attention" I mean rigorous funding, ad campaigns, and political involvement from multiple countries including the U.S. and China (high hopes?).
With my painting I wanted to restore the distance and mystery of the elephant. The sad calm that comes from being too big to hide and the isolation of a species under threat. I want to have a momentary appreciation for elephants where the danger of their situation doesn't trump the beauty. To me, my painting is sad--I could hardly handle researching elephants because of the constant stream of horrifying images and stories that the internet had for me (don't google "ivory"). With all the economics, national interests, international codes, sovereignty, trade regulations, government, and politics in general--it is a sad story. Because in the middle of all of that noise, is a species that is struggling.
Hope you like it!
I'm not wondering why this happens (I get it), it's just an interesting case and frustrating to digest. It's a sad truth--a loved animal, that can't seem to survive.
Their size is another thing I wanted to focus on. They remind us that in our world right now, animal size can do more harm than good. They're massive, but could be swashed like a bug if we don't pay attention. And by "pay attention" I mean rigorous funding, ad campaigns, and political involvement from multiple countries including the U.S. and China (high hopes?).
With my painting I wanted to restore the distance and mystery of the elephant. The sad calm that comes from being too big to hide and the isolation of a species under threat. I want to have a momentary appreciation for elephants where the danger of their situation doesn't trump the beauty. To me, my painting is sad--I could hardly handle researching elephants because of the constant stream of horrifying images and stories that the internet had for me (don't google "ivory"). With all the economics, national interests, international codes, sovereignty, trade regulations, government, and politics in general--it is a sad story. Because in the middle of all of that noise, is a species that is struggling.
Hope you like it!
BROOKLYN RAW!!! JUNE 19TH!!
I'm in the Brooklyn RAW Artist Art Show Event!! June 19th 8pm-midnight at 74 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn.
I have to sell 20 tickets in order to be in the show, so if you want to come, click here: http://www.rawartists.org/jackiedorage
There's going to be a DJ, fashion show, film screening, and lots of art. Plus, I'll be showing lots of my new pieces!
BUY TICKETS!!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Bumble Bees--again.
Bee's have really long tongues.
Cons--they sting. Pros--too many to list.
I still don't like bees, but somehow with everything else I research, they keep popping up. This time, I was looking up houseflies--they taste with their feet, spit on food, then vacuum it up with their bizarre tube-mouth. Awesome.
In searching the BBC nature website for more information on an ancient Chinese method of solving murder mysteries with houseflies, I came across a gem of an article called "Bomblebees to the Rescue"
Ridiculously stupid name. But, the point is made--bee's are now being trained to sniff out bombs. Apparently, a bees sense of smell is comparable to a dogs and, with less training time necessary, way cheaper. Bees are such an attractive choice that the UK has given Heathrow Airport 250,000 pounds to start a bumblebee project. And now, the flood gates have opened--bee's are starting to be used in detecting landmines, illegal drug trafficking, and scientists are seeing if they can detect illness in humans.
There is a down-side. First, there are a plethora of reasons why you can't have bees flying around, free of restraint. Obviously, that would terrify any one in an enclosed area. But also, such as the case of detecting landmines, bee's have a short attention span. Yes, it takes them 5 seconds to learn (no, seriously...I read it, 5 seconds to learn), but if there are any tasty fruit trees around, they're off the job.
To combat this problem, scientists at Heathrow developed a vacuum cleaner-like mechanism that houses bees who have been trained to stick out their (incredibly long) tongue when they smell their target. Then, a sensor goes off when it detects the tongue and Done! Illicit material, FOUND!
My prediction for the future: bee's sensing cancerous tumors, bee's sensing dangerous gas leaks, and me still being afraid of bees.
I still don't like bees, but somehow with everything else I research, they keep popping up. This time, I was looking up houseflies--they taste with their feet, spit on food, then vacuum it up with their bizarre tube-mouth. Awesome.
In searching the BBC nature website for more information on an ancient Chinese method of solving murder mysteries with houseflies, I came across a gem of an article called "Bomblebees to the Rescue"
Ridiculously stupid name. But, the point is made--bee's are now being trained to sniff out bombs. Apparently, a bees sense of smell is comparable to a dogs and, with less training time necessary, way cheaper. Bees are such an attractive choice that the UK has given Heathrow Airport 250,000 pounds to start a bumblebee project. And now, the flood gates have opened--bee's are starting to be used in detecting landmines, illegal drug trafficking, and scientists are seeing if they can detect illness in humans.
There is a down-side. First, there are a plethora of reasons why you can't have bees flying around, free of restraint. Obviously, that would terrify any one in an enclosed area. But also, such as the case of detecting landmines, bee's have a short attention span. Yes, it takes them 5 seconds to learn (no, seriously...I read it, 5 seconds to learn), but if there are any tasty fruit trees around, they're off the job.
To combat this problem, scientists at Heathrow developed a vacuum cleaner-like mechanism that houses bees who have been trained to stick out their (incredibly long) tongue when they smell their target. Then, a sensor goes off when it detects the tongue and Done! Illicit material, FOUND!
My prediction for the future: bee's sensing cancerous tumors, bee's sensing dangerous gas leaks, and me still being afraid of bees.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Fire Ant Raft
yall are crazy.
Part of why I think studying animals is awesome is because it encapsulates a broad interdisciplinary range of topics. Now, engineers at Georgia Tech have delved into one of my favorite insect events EVER: The Fire. Ant. Raft. yes.
The result is a viscous and elastic material that is almost like a fluid composed of ant “molecules,” researchers said. The ants spread out from a sphere into a pancake-shaped raft that resisted perturbations and submergence techniques."-How Fire Ants Build Waterproof Rafts, Georgia Tech
Every now and then, the Amazon jungle has enough flooding to destroy the network of local fire ant tunnels. So, in a typical mechanized insect fashion, all the ants collect their eggs and join together to float down the Amazon for days or even weeks--unharmed. The rafts can be around 3 feet in diameter and are so air-tight that even the ants on the bottom of the raft never get submerged in water. They will finally reach land, unload, and start a new colony wherever that may be.
It's a quirk of the Amazon fire ants that has gotten fairly popular but, until now, has not been sufficiently studied.
Maybe it's because I'm from Georgia, or maybe it's because I think fire ants are terrifying, but I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that this topic was being taking up for study. So far, the engineers have found that...jeez, I'm so thrilled I don't even feel like putting this in my own words:
"By freezing the ants, the Georgia Tech team observed that fire ants construct rafts when placed in water by gripping each other with mandibles, claw and adhesive pads at a force 400 times their body weight.
The result is a viscous and elastic material that is almost like a fluid composed of ant “molecules,” researchers said. The ants spread out from a sphere into a pancake-shaped raft that resisted perturbations and submergence techniques."-How Fire Ants Build Waterproof Rafts, Georgia Tech
That's just a littClick above to read the whole thing...you really should!
So, in conclusion, ant colonies behave like super-organisms, this is awesome, and I can't wait to see all the crazy studies and technology that comes from it.
WELL DONE GEORGIA TECH!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Sandy and the Storm Surge
Oh Sandy, why must you complicate things so?
<------ Pictured here is the Brooklyn Waterfront Arts Coalition gallery where I currently have the Dog with Penguins painting. And this picture was taken when the water receded! Apparently, it was 5 feet high on the bottom floor. But luckily, our wonderful directors moved all of the art work to the second flood. Still though, the damage is pretty bad…Oh Sandy.
My art show at the LaunchPad was cancelled due to the difficulty of everythingin New York right now. The traffic, lack of gas, lack of electricity, lack of subways, and from all of that comes the anger of everyone. For Brooklyn specifically, I would say lack of gas and subways is the pinnacle of our chaos. The streets went from being grid-locked with angry honking drivers, to being lined with silent dead cars and no people. Gas stations are blocked off with caution tape and long lines of people holding red gas cans go on for blocks. Policemen and National Guardsmen look flustered and panicked and freak out if you walk on the sidewalk next to the gas station. It's pretty surreal, but then again, I've just been trying to leave my apartment as little as possible so I really haven't seen much of it. Apparently there has been a lot of shootings and from what I can hear from my apartment, lots of fights.
I had to get to Queens for a job interview on Friday. Although I got there, it was the most difficult and frustrating trip ever. Busses were full, taxi's wouldn't go out of Brooklyn, and people were obnoxious and cops were nervous. I finally made it there by telling the cab driver the name of an obscure street in Queens. He looked at me suspiciously, asked if I knew how to get there, and let me in the cab. After he started driving I told him that it was in Queens. He was kinda pissed…but I gave him a good tip and expressed my gratitude.
Then on the way back I waited, along with maybe 50 others, at a bus stop in the freezing cold for about and hour and a half while full busses passed by. They would open their doors at our stop, allowing one scared individual look at the crowd wide-eyed and nervous bracing himself against the edge of the bus doors, then everyone sighs, pissed off, the doors close, the individual relaxes and plasters himself against the glass, and bus drives off. Then we wait for another twenty minutes till the process repeats itself.
I went to get a beer and a BLT. I talked to some ridiculous men from Long Island that told pretty racist jokes, relentlessly flirted with the waitress and had really thick accents. They both had daughters my age and gave me lots of sad eyes and pity smiles. We talked a lot and I was secretly hoping they would pay for my beer, but they didn't. So now I've decided that when I get a job I'm going to pay for some poor young persons beer on a cold, unemployed, subwayless day.
Then the altruism began. I went back to the bus stop and waited and watched full busses drive by for about another half hour. Then a car drove up and a girl around my age got out. I saw her lean over and say to a woman waiting for the bus "hey, do you need to go to downtown Brooklyn?", then they both start going towards the car. I ran over, "WAIT, are you going to downtown Brooklyn???" "Yeah…….wanna ride?" "YES."
And that's how I got to Brooklyn. A nice young couple listening to NPR in their snazzy sedan and 3 cold, lowly bus riders.
Of course, I don't live in downtown Brooklyn. So, I started walking home. I figured it would take a little over an hour. And I think it did. OH! But I did end up catching a bus! Five blocks from my house. I think I did it just to make myself feel better. I imagine the bus driver was confused.
Thanks Sandy.
<------ Pictured here is the Brooklyn Waterfront Arts Coalition gallery where I currently have the Dog with Penguins painting. And this picture was taken when the water receded! Apparently, it was 5 feet high on the bottom floor. But luckily, our wonderful directors moved all of the art work to the second flood. Still though, the damage is pretty bad…Oh Sandy.
My art show at the LaunchPad was cancelled due to the difficulty of everythingin New York right now. The traffic, lack of gas, lack of electricity, lack of subways, and from all of that comes the anger of everyone. For Brooklyn specifically, I would say lack of gas and subways is the pinnacle of our chaos. The streets went from being grid-locked with angry honking drivers, to being lined with silent dead cars and no people. Gas stations are blocked off with caution tape and long lines of people holding red gas cans go on for blocks. Policemen and National Guardsmen look flustered and panicked and freak out if you walk on the sidewalk next to the gas station. It's pretty surreal, but then again, I've just been trying to leave my apartment as little as possible so I really haven't seen much of it. Apparently there has been a lot of shootings and from what I can hear from my apartment, lots of fights.
I had to get to Queens for a job interview on Friday. Although I got there, it was the most difficult and frustrating trip ever. Busses were full, taxi's wouldn't go out of Brooklyn, and people were obnoxious and cops were nervous. I finally made it there by telling the cab driver the name of an obscure street in Queens. He looked at me suspiciously, asked if I knew how to get there, and let me in the cab. After he started driving I told him that it was in Queens. He was kinda pissed…but I gave him a good tip and expressed my gratitude.
Then on the way back I waited, along with maybe 50 others, at a bus stop in the freezing cold for about and hour and a half while full busses passed by. They would open their doors at our stop, allowing one scared individual look at the crowd wide-eyed and nervous bracing himself against the edge of the bus doors, then everyone sighs, pissed off, the doors close, the individual relaxes and plasters himself against the glass, and bus drives off. Then we wait for another twenty minutes till the process repeats itself.
I went to get a beer and a BLT. I talked to some ridiculous men from Long Island that told pretty racist jokes, relentlessly flirted with the waitress and had really thick accents. They both had daughters my age and gave me lots of sad eyes and pity smiles. We talked a lot and I was secretly hoping they would pay for my beer, but they didn't. So now I've decided that when I get a job I'm going to pay for some poor young persons beer on a cold, unemployed, subwayless day.
Then the altruism began. I went back to the bus stop and waited and watched full busses drive by for about another half hour. Then a car drove up and a girl around my age got out. I saw her lean over and say to a woman waiting for the bus "hey, do you need to go to downtown Brooklyn?", then they both start going towards the car. I ran over, "WAIT, are you going to downtown Brooklyn???" "Yeah…….wanna ride?" "YES."
And that's how I got to Brooklyn. A nice young couple listening to NPR in their snazzy sedan and 3 cold, lowly bus riders.
Of course, I don't live in downtown Brooklyn. So, I started walking home. I figured it would take a little over an hour. And I think it did. OH! But I did end up catching a bus! Five blocks from my house. I think I did it just to make myself feel better. I imagine the bus driver was confused.
Thanks Sandy.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Frogs of Central America
I was looking up the Golden Frog because I read an article about how they wave to communicate. Their beautiful pure gold color has given them legendary powers for good luck and made them sought after for poachers. Needless to say, they're quite rare.
After searching the web for a little bit, I found out that they are most likely extinct in the wild. So sad. I thought I'd post 1) the video of the frog waving--brought to you by the amazing Sir David Attenborough, and 2) the video of the incredible, dedicated, and brilliant scientists trying to save the frogs of Central America.
After searching the web for a little bit, I found out that they are most likely extinct in the wild. So sad. I thought I'd post 1) the video of the frog waving--brought to you by the amazing Sir David Attenborough, and 2) the video of the incredible, dedicated, and brilliant scientists trying to save the frogs of Central America.
I typically think of frogs as twitchy and manic and am in awe after the video shows Golden Frogs so poised in their movements and interactions. They really are beautiful.
But sadly, the Chytrid Fungus has spread throughout Central America and is threatening to spread further into North America, killing out mass amounts of amphibians. It's thought to have affected 30% of amphibians world-wide. Efforts to pass laws making the sale of frogs illegal has been halted by cultural groups that eat frogs as part of their historic diet. Yet, in an article by the New York Times, out of 493 frogs from San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, 62% were infected with Chytrid. Some of these frogs are eaten (an average of 2,280 metric tons of frog legs are brought into this country every year), some are kept as pets, but either way, the fungus has been spreading for the past 15 years and is not slowing any time soon.
Here's the video on scientists helping to save frogs in Central America.
I need to write a blog about balancing cultural sensitivity with environmental protection…it's an obnoxiously reoccurring theme in so many topics I read about.
I'll get on that…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)