Did you know restaurant menus NEVER
use blue ink? It is because blue has been shown to decrease the
appetite. Think about it. From the Waffle House all the way to the
Four Seasons, every shade of bright, vibrant and fresh appears, but blue
is a no-no.in 1842 Sir
John Herschel invented the cyanotype, but it was a woman named Anna
Atkins who turned it into an art. In one of the most arcane activities I
can imagine, and for some curious reason, Dame Atkins decided to
collect algae and save them by laying each on light-sensitized paper,
creating some 400 images which were published in the first book of
photographs. So the very first photograph book was not only published
by a woman, it was composed entirely of blue photographs of seaweed.
Only 17 copies exist today.
Cyanotypes
must be the least expensive photography technique, as the once
ubiquitous "blueprints" used by architects and home builders were
cyanotypes.
The most extraordinary property of the cyanotype is it's regenerative behavior. Like
a starfish with an arm torn off, they come back! They lose their blue
easily, but if a faded cyanotype photograph is stored in a dark
environment, a good deal of the original color will return like magic.
Maybe we should print money in blue?
Pages from an unidentified book of industrial cyanotypes, no cover or date. Circa 1920
Collection Jim Linderman
Any artist admired by John Waters is at the very least interesting, he being an informed, if unconventional collector. This HAS to be especially true if the painter happens to be a former gun moll, showgirl and self-admitted lover of 2,000 men. Her autobiography was titled My First 2,000 Men and while I haven't read it, I believe her. She had two week long marriage at age 15. It set the pattern, but she survived.
Ms. Renay lived a rich life. She knew and consorted with Mobster Mickey Cohen, and she loved him, I guess. At least, she loved him enough to help him launder some money which came up during the investigation of the murder of mobster Albert Anastasia. That is not a small time gangster. That is a gangster when they were bigger than General Motors. Anastasia was said to have been done in by Crazy Joe Gallo.
Liz passed away on January 22, 2007.
One of the best ways to remember Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins, her real name, would be to appreciate the fabulously goofy outsider art paintings she created. There aren't enough paintings by showgirls.
Unlike most self-taught naives, Liz eventually went from obscure to big time, finally achieving a major show at adventurous and prestigious art gallery Deitch Projects in New York. Art snobs like to say an artist's background doesn't have anything to do with their artistic esthetics, painterly qualities and such, but I think Deitch knew a good story when he saw one.
The magnificent exhibition of paintings was put together by the Burlesque Hall of Fame and Deitch. Not only are they huge in scale and scope, they are bizarre and that's great. That whole "Low-Brow" art movement owes her a debt. The installation was a few years ago, but let's help it keep making some news. It is said she painted 150 works.
View the show HERE, which was installed with numerous objects from her career. Her work, which sold for a few grand in the 1960s is holding firm...see one for sale at 15 grand HERE
Deitch Projects is HERE. Burlesque Hall of Fame is HERE, and the images are theirs. A nice slide show also appears HERE on artnet.
My First 2,000 Men is HERE.
The Horrible Gag Cartoons of Anonymous. Circa 1960. Collection Jim Linderman
Free Thinking Christian Mission Headquarters of Chess McCartney the Goatman. Your call...
Original Postcard dated on reverse 1957. Jefferson County, Georgia.
Collection Jim Linderman
It's GINGY and his friends. Thanks and a tip of a Gingy hat to Shannon Regan.
Trapunto is the technique of padding sections of a textile to create a puffy, stuffed decorative feature. These "morning ritual" padded butts qualify! Matching hand towels. Man holds razor, woman a powder puff. Circa 1950. Collection Jim Linderman
Max Romain Outsider Artist Photographs by Jim Linderman New York 1992
Home Visit from a Burlesque Queen and her trunk of changes. Group of original photographs, circa 1950. Collection Jim Linderman
A giant devil rattlesnake acts up through the power of Satan (and electricity running through the conduit pipe) which brings him life! It's Augie Mack's giant automaton! The powerful creation of Mr. Mack weighed 300 pounds. The blog post HERE tells as much of the story as is known.
THIS is how to open a film. Above is an original still photograph from the stunning opening of the film Crime Without Passion being produced. Enjoy this clip...and marvel. Film making at the highest level, and 85 years ago. Still 8 x 10 promotional photograph collection Jim Linderman
