Tag Archives: Ben Shahn

c. wright mills: status panic

To C. Wright Mills, the 1950’s caustic critic of America, the twentieth century was the period par excellence of the middle class, which to him had slipped half-consciously into historical prominence without any sense of organized identity, without continuity with … Continue reading

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status system: chasing proclivities

…The idea of social class is one of the most useful, and most risky, weapons in the armory of the social scientist. … Once you have assumed that there is such a thing as “class,” proofs of its existence follow … Continue reading

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inflation: wandering hands on the tiller

Few would deny that our own political system may also be put seriously at risk by inflation. Every politician, every party, has some cure to sell to the electorate. Everybody promises solutions, but none of them works because the inflationary … Continue reading

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don’t croak in the humble abode

…Going through an article on real estate agent ethics and morality; and the lack thereof has resulted in a new clause inserted in the sales contract between vendor and agent. The clause is to certify that no one has died … Continue reading

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back to earle

…In his unusual paintings Carroll Cloar set down his memories, an admittance of sentiment, within the private world of childhood in the southern small town where he grew up. He presents images such as a prim ghost in gingham standing … Continue reading

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its about ideas: language of graphic design

by Art Chantry: i found this mag and snagged it immediately. i ASSUMED it was an early warhol magazine cover (done for the infamous “draw binky” ‘Famous Artists Correspondence School” magazine partly owned by norman rockwell, no less!) but, when … Continue reading

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shahn and beall

by Art Chantry: BEAT-UP VINTAGE DUSTJACKET OF THE WEEK AWARD: “‘illustrators ’60” – the annual of the american illustration (1960). design/lester beall, illustration/ben shahn (look real closely). (sorry my photoshop skills are so bad. i almost lost the shahn illustration … Continue reading

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revolution on the cutting room floor

Definitely a precursor to today’s political re-mix videos. Passionate agit-pop that incarnated all the hopes and dreams that the socialist project promised. Alvarez’s videos are intense projections that sear the conservative canons of capitalist ideology; the whole market system and … Continue reading

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there’s plenty of room at the bottom

From the previous post that brought up Harry Saltzman, one of the originators of developing the social realism genre of film. Of course, Saltzman did not operate in a vacuum, but he had an intuitive sense that connected the north … Continue reading

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romney care: tax evasives of the leisure clasp

One of the key themes in our ongoing public discourse is taxes. Mitt Romney’s income tax filings and the continuing collateral damage from banker bonuses and bailouts have made this an open sore with the pain shooting to the dark … Continue reading

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