Category: austin

Poetry of Songwriters: ‘Words Matter’

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Poster promoting BB King and Bobby Blue Bland appearing at Antone’s in Austin, circa 1980(?)

Attempting to trace the development of American music from the 1600s onward in one exhibition is an ambitious undertaking. In my mind, it’s too big a chunk to lump together.

Yet a visit to “Music America: Iconic Objects from America’s Music History” at the LBJ Presidential Library until August 11 is well worthwhile. Somehow the clever curation by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music includes enough variety for broad appeal, a combination of instruments, costumes, listening stations and videos all contributing to the experience.

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New release with mysterious Polaroid print on cover

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Just Being True to Ourselves: A Conversation with Stewart Gersmann of Bottlecap Mountain

Japanese woodblock prints at Blanton reflect ‘Floating World’ values

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Above: “Shadows on the Shoji,” Kikukawa Eizan, 1815

The two fashionably dressed courtesans in the foreground appear to have just stepped away from a lively party and are chatting on a veranda. The drinking and flirting figures inside cast shadows against the shoji (lattice-and-paper screen doors) of the brothel behind them.”

Curatorial notes for “Shadows on the Shoji,” Blanton Museum of Art

1815. The date surprised me, due to my lack of understanding the accepted restrictive roles assigned courtesans and geishas in Japanese culture. The witty social commentary and humor contained in Edo-era (1603-1868) woodblock prints in “The Floating World: Masterpieces from the Edo Period” on display at the Blanton Museum of Art prove captivating.

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