Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons is an American artist whose works focused on popular culture and reproductions of objects. Jeff Koons was born in York, Pennsylvania, on January 21, 1955, artist Jeff Koons made everyday objects into artistic displays that were influenced by consumerism and the human experience. After high school, he attended the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore where he earned his M.F.A. degree. Koon created over 150 pieces from 1978 to present day. His pieces are some of the most popular, highly valued, and revolutionary works in art history. Much of Jeff Koon’s artwork was conceptual but forced people to reconceptualize the idea of readymade art and advanced art. Koon’s broke barriers between the idea of artist and celebrity, advanced art and readymade, and art and pop culture.

Koon’s work had an impact on me because of his works mass appeal. Much of his artwork appealed to the mass public in a way that no artist ever has. Koon’s reconceptualization of objects is a simple, yet genius, technique that marketers and artist alike use to appeal to the public. The main reason I admire Jeff Koons is for his ability to reconceptualize. An artist’s ability to see the world differently is how art and creativity become a reality. Jeff Koons perfected the technique of reconceptualization and created art that most everyone can appreciate.

https://www.thebroad.org/art/jeff-koons

A website that provides some background information on Jeff Koons, such as his artistic aim, biographical history, and description of some of his artworks. The website also includes pictures of some of his famous works.

http://www.jeffkoons.com/

A website that provides almost all of Jeff Koon’s artworks with artistic descriptions, pictures, and information on each piece. The website also includes Jeff’s exhibitions, a bibliography, biography, and a contact page for art inquiries.

https://www.bmwartcarcollection.com/category/bmw-art-cars/

A website that includes all the BMW art cars that were made by various artists including Jeff Koons. The BMW art car made by Jeff Koons is one of my favorite works done by him. The collection also includes cars done by Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, and Ken Done. 

Queen of Tatars

Masguda  Shamsutdinova

The Great Composer from Tartary

As a child living in the Swamps of Bashkortstan, Masguda Shamsudinova is said to have heard "music from the trees, sky, and bees". From a small village and relatively primitive village of less than 500 people (for which her father was the local shaman), the odds that Masguda would learn the skills in composition necessary to put this music to paper were slim, but hearing the music from nature instilled her with a lifelong passion of music and the sheer impact it can have on emotions.

To learn to compose music, she decided to go to the Karagonda Academy of Music and Arts, a boarding school which was only accessible by train. The nearest station was 10 miles away from her village in sometimes sub-zero temperatures; a trek which she frequently made alone throughout her childhood and teenage years, reportedly having been followed by a pack of wolves the entire way home on one occasion, alone at the age of 10. 
       

   
         

 Masguda (the small girl in the middle) with her brother 

 and sister.   

                     


                   
     

  Masguda developed a fascination with Genghis Khan and how he exerted his                                    

   influence across Asia. She dedicated her third symphony to the his conquest.

Masguda went on to get two college degrees, including a PH.D. at St. Petersburg State University, and has been awarded "Best Composer" in multiple festivals, including two international festivals. She has written many songs, and 3 symphonies to date. She is currently collecting lullibies from cultures all over the world before they are lost.


Masguda Shamsutdinova is compelling to me as an artist because she is not only a close family friend, but one of the happiest and most genuine people I know; and she has a way of bringing joy to others just by being in the same room. She also has a very spiritual attitude towards music that is magnetic by nature.

Her music both traditional and very unique; some pieces sound like a they could be played to the background of a dramatic movie scene (which they have), but her music isn't confined to a specific sound or genre like is seen of so many other artists. She's written tangos, melancholy solos, and many pieces that don't fit into any the confines of conventional genre.

 

                  "This Song is Dedicated to You"

                                                            "Moon Girl"

                      "Symphonic Poem Dervish"

For more information on Masguda

Masguda's Music 1
Masguda's Music 2
     Although her music is difficult to come by in America, these pages have a good number of her songs and symphonies. After listening to a few, it becomes pretty clear how far her range extends.

Tatars.com
    Tatars.com is Masgudas personal website. She has many of her lullabies stored here, as well as general information about her life, accompishments, and music. She also documents her adventures in America, and uses this website to help connect Tatars all over the world.

Masguda Interview
     An in depth interview with Masguda on why she is inspired to write music, and on her life in America as opposed to Kazakhstan. She discusses the music she hears in everyday life, as well as the decision to leave her home country to educate her two sons in America.

Jessica Kobeissi

Jessica Kobeissi

By Kelsey Bell

Photographer

                                                                   https://twitter.com/jessicakobeissi

Jessica Kobeissi is a Fashion Photographer born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She is best known for her photography tutorials on YouTube and has grown to become a very successful person. She is young, creative and inspiring, especially to those who are new to the photography world. With her helpful tips and tricks in photography and Photoshop, she makes what should be challenging and complicated sound fun and easy. She believes that you should never give up on your dreams and you can always turn your talents into a career. 

Official Website

Jessica's website allows you to explore her work, purchase photos and contact her. She has an amazing website that she created with her graphic design background and her portrait gallery is endless.

YouTube Channel

Her YouTube channel is full of behind the scene photo shoots, Photoshop tutorials, and information on everything you need to know about photography. She also collaborates with other photographers and competes in challenges. 

Get to Know Jessica

Everything you want to know about Jessica Kobeissi is here in an interview with Atlas magazine. She tells you how she came to love photography to how she became a YouTube star.

 

"Jessica Kobeissi's work never fails to inspire me. She pushes me to think outside the box and get out of my comfort zone because that is where you can create some of your best work. Her videos have taught me many things and how to avoid big mistakes. Her style of photography is modern and what I am drawn towards. She is one of my role models."

-Kelsey Bell

John Williams

I have been a fan of John Williams since I started piano lessons in second grade. I didn’t know who he was at the time, but I did know of his work. He was composed pieces for many major motion pictures including ET, eight Star Wars films and three Harry Potter films. Some of his lesser known pieces include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The BFG, both Home Alone movies and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj52StvrUGAwhD8w3v-dv9ROq-aE4tw9yDPgO_pgu6V5Lu-HkwLgRfnov11l1z9aBvbXKqG2MGQt6_iTyw9Y3p2_HuOa0MRXvLBV651PCkHm9q209PzWBsMW8-d-nvwitzBlYENjuYOI/s1600/williams-2.jpg

He has played a large part of my life. Not only did I play the Jaws and Star Wars songs in piano lessons, I also played various pieces throughout my middle school and high school career in the band where I played several instruments and was able to explore his music in a wide variety. With so many recognizable titles under his belt that are both moving and powerful, he is a household name. 

• http://www.johnwilliams.org/

Williams has a site that is an epicenter of his past and current work. There is a tab for news where you can see all of his upcoming performances and current/recent work with links to the corresponding articles that were written about the events. You can also find a biography, bibliography, commercially available scores and a list of all awards, honorary degrees, and award nominations. This site has a wealth of information about the composer.

•      https://www.last.fm/music/John+Williams

On Last FM users are able to listen to may soundtracks composed by Williams, as well as for upcoming events, read a biography and view other media about the author. While this site does not go as in-depth William’s own site, you are able to listen to his work and interact with other users.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvrJF1IyAhwJkdB64dLqY7gABXmoOxHCQNF94IdudsyJS7B0L1LbZ8Ho0csJwocLGRUr1gvyAxFZacjxb5w6fqH_SM8w81jGTqEnpT7XoY-Mzs4ZC3sqq824o1dgiRFyr6wZ70fRwd0s/s1600/John+Williams.jpg

• https://www.biography.com/people/john-williams-9532526

This page is exclusively a biography. This article was last updated in January of this year. It is more of a quick facts page where you can view small YouTube clips, find some of his most memorable quotes and learn some of the background information on this composer and conductor. There are biographies on the previous two sites, however, I found that the Last FM site focused more on the soundtracks and William’s personal site was much more in depth. Biography.com seems to be more directed to the everyday user.

•    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002354/

IMDB is always a good place to find valuable information about an artist. More specifically this has a running list of all projects, even future ones. When an article is released announcing he has signed on to another film, this website is updated to reflect his body of work.

Lindsey Stirling

Lindsey Stirling is an American violinist, dancer, song writer and director. She made her debut on Youtube in 2007, posting videos of herself dancing and playing the violin with music. Her popularity grew as she made her way to the quarter finals of America’s Got Talent season 5 in 2012 at the age of 23. 

Stirling’s downfall on the show was her strength. Her performance style is to dance a ballet influenced hip-hop while she plays the violin. The judges felt her presence was not enough to fill a stage. Turning back to Youtube with new followers and fame, other artists reached out to Stirling to collaborate on songs together, artists such as The Piano Guys, John Legend, and Pentatonix. She directs and choreographs a number of her videos which usually feature her dancing, themed outfits and visual effects. Her music is unique in that she uses a dubstep/big-beat background, and occasionally vocals, to accompany her classically trained violin sound. She does both covers and original music on her channel. 

Stirling’s third album Brave Enough (released August 19, 2016) debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart and went on to score the #1 spot on Billboard’s year-end Top Dance/Electronic Album list, winning out over well known dance music artists such as Chainsmokers, Flume and Kygo. Her dance music, cute fantasy outfits and light hearted dancing has earned her the descriptor, rave fairy. 

Official Website
Here is Stirling's official website where you can get information about her tours and new book. This is the home base where you can find links to her instagram and twitter as well. She also has a merchandise store and photo gallery.

Youtube channel
Here is her Youtube channel. All her music videos are found here as well as behind the scene videos.  She has a second channel called Lindsey Time where she posts vlogs and live streams. Youtube Red has made a documentary about Stirling which can also be found through her channel.

The Only Pirate at the Party
This is a link to a website that describes her new book, The Only Pirate at the Party, which includes a short excerpt from the book. Lindsey wrote this book with her sister. Her memoir outlines her journey to becoming a successful artist. She includes stories from her experiences as a contestant in America's Got Talent, her struggles with anorexia, and her childhood.

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes

   

Shonda Rhimes is a 48 year old very successful American television producer, screenwriter, and author. Rhimes attended Dartmouth University, followed by an education at the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television. Rhimes is best known for writing and directing Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and my personal favorite television show, Grey's Anatomy. Her addicting drama television shows landed her a spot on TIME magazine's 100 People Who Help Shape the World list in 2007. In 2015, she published her first book, and memoir called "Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person".

https://twitter.com/shondarhimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

This link takes you to Shonda Rhime's twitter page, where she has nearly 2 million followers. Rhime's actively engages here with her fans, peers, and friends.

https://www.ted.com/talks/shonda_rhimes_my_year_of_saying_yes_to_everything

This link takes you to a video of Shonda Rhime's interviewing during a TED talk after the release of her memoir. She discusses her busy work life and how she deals with it, and the video has over 3 million views.

https://www.instagram.com/shondarhimes/

This final link takes you to Shonda Rhime's Instagram, which consists of photos, videos, and captions that Rhimes posts herself. Rhime's uses her Instagram to promote her recent works, post pictures with her friends and family, and promoting women's rights in the workplace.

Info Bombing

Social Measures - Info Bombing

     I chose Adam Burtle as my artist of interest. With strong ties to moral justice and activism Burtle created Info Bombing with the hope that it would cause people to stop and have further thought about the subject matter and to (hopefully) further engage themselves by looking up the information displayed on his info posts. He spray paints sidewalks and puts stickers on light poles, medians, dumpsters, benches, etc., in and around Seattle, stating statistical facts about race, poverty, paid maternity leave, and many other global health and social justice issues. I’ve found Burtle’s work to be interesting because it is an inspiring way to get people engaged, to pull us out of our media cocoons. While Burtle’s work is not truly “art” in the sense of a painting or performance, I think the ideas and motives behind it are art. It is a way to have people stop and have further thought about what the statistics actual mean and question their validity. it starts conversation! 

    The three links below are from Burtle’s Info Social Measures website. Some of the photos on the website, if you click on them, have further information about the statistic: where they come from, and why they are important.

(1)

http://measures.social/inequality/paid-family-leave/

The first link is a statistic regarding paid parent leave: “Only 11% of American workers are covered by a paid family leave policy for the birth of a child.” Burtle emphasizes that the many reason why this statistic maters is because, “the health benefits of paid leave are only accruing to the children of the most advantaged employees.”

(2)

http://measures.social/inequality/deaths-from-poverty-and-inequality/

The second link is a statistic that was published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2011. It draws light upon an economic issue – income inequality – that has been a grow concern in many countries, especially the U.S.

(3)

http://measures.social/inequality/american-birthweight/

The last statistic states, “American babies are twice as likely as babies in Estonia to be born at a low birth-weight.” I found this statement to be interesting when considering the economic differences between the two countries. It seems strange that babies born in the U.S. can still suffer from a pure problem like malnutrition when considering our advancements in technology and overall economic wealth.