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Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 3917 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Monday, July 3, 2006 - 12:35 am: |
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As I was gallivanting about the internet i came upon something wonderful, something wonderful indeed. Nine animated shorts by Carmen D'Avino, I don't have any recollection of ever having heard of him before, but I wish I had. These shorts are fantastic, and I highly recommend watching them, I ran across them here, NCPR.org. I naturally had to find more info on this man, some of which will follow below. Carmen D'Avino was a pioneer in animated short films, and a leader in the avant-garde movement of the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's, and an Academy Award nominee. The Whitney museum recognizes Carmen D'Avino as a pioneer in experimental filmmaking, he landed on Utah Beach on D-Day as a military filmmaker, and continued on filming the troops to the liberation of Paris. D'Avino started as a painter in the 1930's, then broadened his artistic endeavors with filmmaking, sculpting, and animation. Here is a short bio that I found here
Quote:Carmen D'Avino (1918 - 2004) Carmen D'Avino was a pioneer in animated short film, becoming one of the leading figures in the avant-garde film movement of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, his films regularly seen at Cinema 16, the most successful and influential membership film society in North American history. His work in oils and sculpture have achieved similar success, part of his always expanding experimentation into shape, color and form. As a teenager in Connecticut, D'Avino traded an old hunting rifle for a Kodak movie camera. The swap was life altering and the beginning of D'Avino's adventurous, life long journey into the world of art. Beginning in the late 1930s with his studies at the Art Students League in New York City, and influenced by his teachers Robert Brackman and Andre l'Hote, D'Avino gravitated toward films and painting. His work with film led to a World War II job as a combat photographer that climaxed with his filming the Normandy Invasion and the Liberation of Paris. D'Avino remained in Paris after the war and was the first American to use the GI Bill to study abroad. He enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. While studying oil painting, D'Avino was stimulated by film shorts, espcially Alain Resnais's 1948 film, "Van Gogh", which he saw in cine-clubs in Paris and, in 1950, won the Academy Award for the best documentary. He began to experiment with film, documenting the experiences of postwar France. In 1947 D'Avino met his future wife, Helena Elfing of Finland, and in 1948, after an extended tour hitchhiking together across Italy, he followed her to India where she had accepted the position of tutor to the son of the newly posted French Ambassador to India. D'Avino had hoped to continue his art studies in India under the GI Bill, but was unable to find a suitable school. His time in India proved to be extremely educational, nonetheless. Henri Cartier-Bresson became one of his companions, and their conversations about photography were both enlivened and enlightening. D'Avino also had the opportunity to meet and discuss film with Jean Renoir, who was in Delhi to film the movie, "The River". Their conversations centered on the future possibilities of short films. He continued his painting and exhibited twice, once in Delhi and once in Bombay. The contrast of strong colors found in D'Avino's work comes out of his time spent in India. He was influenced by Indian miniature paintings, most of all from their ornamental elements and areas covered in pure colors. The same style is apparent in his film animations of the 1960s and 1970s. The contrast of colors remains always lively in his films, where red, orange and yellow details are presented together as a contrast with the cold colors, green and blue. After a stay in India of 18 months, D'Avino returned to Paris. In the spring of 1950, the sculptor, Robert Rosenwald left his small studio at number 8, rue St. Julian le Pauvre, located directly across the street from one of the oldest churches in Paris, and diagonally across the Seine from the towers of Notre Dame, and turned it over to his friend Hayword Bill Rivers. Rivers in turn invited a number of his artists friends to join him in turning the studio into a gallery, the first and only galerie in Paris run by Americans, essentially to show the work of U.S. painters, though some others were also shown. The opening of the galerie created considerable excitement, and was reported both in the English language press, as well as in a number of French papers. Even Picasso is said to have stopped by to see what was going on. In its slightly more than two years of existence more than 50 painters and sculptors exhibited at Galerie Huit, including Carmen D'Avino, Shinkichi Tajiri, Harold Tovish, Oscar Chelimsky, Sydney Geist, Al Held, Burt Hasan, George Ortman, Robert Rosenwald. D'Avino continued his art studies by enrolling at the Academie de la Grand Chaumiere, and in 1951 returned to North America, and eventually to New York City. He bought himself a 16 mm Pathe camera and made a short film called "Sunday Afternoon", which won first prize in a competition sponsored by the Creative Film Foundation. The honor of receiving a Creative Film Award was significantly enhanced when Salvador Dali presented it to D'Avino, who was now embarking on a career in film that would last the rest of his life. D'Avino's film making flourished during the personally, politically and artistically liberating years of the 1960s. His films were shown and awarded honors at film festivals in New York, San Francisco, Montevideo, Uruguay; London, England; Oberhausen, Germany; Annecy, France; Mamaia, Rumania; Krakow, Poland; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Melbourne, Australia. His film "Pianissimo was selected to open the first night of performances at the first international film festival of New York's newly constructed Lincoln Center in 1963. In 1983, when the Center's film festival celebrated its 20th anniversary, D'Avino was honored once more when the festival again began with his film, Pianissimo. D'Avino's body of work includes films for corporations including IBM, Time-Life, and the New York Stock Exchange. He completed a series of short, fully animated films for the Children's Television Workshop including Happy, Sunny, Funny, Library, flowers, and House and numerous title animations and trailers for movies, including "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich". As he grew older, D'Avino challenged himself by working in new, and to him yet untried, materials. The sculptures in wood gave way to carvings of stone blocks weighing many tons. Marble led to limestone and then to granite. When in his 80s he began to produce films on his newly acquired Apple computer and he marveled at the relative ease and affordability that today's film makers enjoyed: "When I think of all the images I didn't record because I couldn't afford the film, and see how cheaply it can be accomplished today, I am amazed and somewhat saddened that it came too late for me. I know, though, that some young person will use this new medium in a unique and exciting way. No matter the medium, D'Avino transports viewers of his art to a whimsical, non-threatening, yet distracting place where eyes and minds are never at rest. What they see is pleasing, sometimes comical, but disturbing, with the ability to agitate. With the grain of woods or his palette of vivid colors, D'Avino can engulfs people in a tapestry of intricate designs, rich with detail and texture, which grow with organic vitality. His success at invigorating those who view his work is said to come from the energy D'Avino transfers from himself to each piece. In order to sculpt, he first needs to get the wood ... chop the tree, cut the log, carve, file, sand ... and through the sweat of toil he converts his energy into the sculpture. It is the same way with his painting and his film and his life. D'Avino transfuses his art with his spirit and it is a symbiotic relationship. It is the doing that is the real art and when creativity is nourished, it can sustain as well. It is all part of the process he would say. D'Avino believed all you need is food, work and love. "To keep busy is a marvelous answer to some dull existence. Life is a great adventure no matter what you do. Life is a joy". To Artist Showroom RoGallery.com Home Page Phone:1-800-888-1063 718-937-0901 Fax: 718-937-1206 Ro Gallery is located at 47-15 36th Street, Long Island City, NY 11101, (Showroom by appointment only) RoGallery.com Home Page Copyright © 2006 ROGALLERY.COM
In 2000 R. D. White and Matthew White chronicled the life and works of Carmen D'Avino in a short film documentary entitled The Quest of Carmen d'Avino, I think I'll have to buy this. Here is a list of his shorts work
The Big O (1958) | Finland (1951) unfinished | A Finnish Fable (1964-1965) | Patterns for a Sunday Afternoon (1954) | Pianissimo (1963) | The Room (1958-1959) | Stone Sonata (1962) | Tarantella (1966) | Theme and Transition (1956) | A Trip (1960) | Vernissage (1950) unfinished | The Weavers (1958) | A few of them aren't on the first page I linked to with 9 of his shorts, I'm still looking online to see if I can find them.
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Dave
Supporter Username: Dave
Post Number: 10047 Registered: 4-1997

| Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 10:58 am: |
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Happy Birthday! Here's a square watermelon:
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Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 3930 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 11:08 am: |
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are you saying I'm square? Thanks. |
   
ess
Citizen Username: Ess
Post Number: 2575 Registered: 11-2001

| Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 6:12 pm: |
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MONSTER!!! Hope it's wonderful and that all your wishes come true.  |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 3944 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 6:23 pm: |
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I do too, thanks ess! |
   
Scully
Citizen Username: Scully
Post Number: 718 Registered: 8-2005
| Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 7:14 pm: |
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Happy Healthy Birthday!!! (And a hunred more just like it!!!) |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 3991 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 5:19 pm: |
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Thanks Scully Now, to France, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! |
   
SO Ref
Citizen Username: So_refugee
Post Number: 1972 Registered: 2-2005

| Posted on Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 7:01 pm: |
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The only thing that would have made a French victory palatable is knowing that I wouldn't have to listen to these yahoos driving up and down the road honking their horns. These folks probably don't even speak a word of Italian that doesn't appear on a menu!!!
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Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 3994 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 10:24 pm: |
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spaghetti! |
   
Dave
Supporter Username: Dave
Post Number: 10064 Registered: 4-1997

| Posted on Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 10:28 pm: |
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Between the French coach removing Henry early and Zidane's way too obvious red card foul I think this game was bought and paid for by someone. Zidane and coach are retiring on a nice Greek isle methinks. |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 3996 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 10:33 pm: |
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the French obviously ______ ____, but it was still a good game to watch, even if the Germans weren't in it. |
   
Duncan
Supporter Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 6711 Registered: 12-2001

| Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 8:12 am: |
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Dave...its one thing to take a red card, but where Zidane hit that guy was right smack in the chest, HARD, it could have killed him. If it was bought and paid for (which wouldn't surprise me at all) then I would hope that a once classy and good soccer player wouldn't try to kill someone on his way out of the game. But lets here it for Sambuca |
   
buzzsaw
Citizen Username: Buzzsaw
Post Number: 5276 Registered: 5-2001

| Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 2:50 pm: |
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http://www.fazed.org/video/?id=335 oh man if there was only a way to get a screen grab of the #2 warning. you'll see what I mean. |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4026 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 3:45 pm: |
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dude, it won't play anymore, you broke it.... |
   
buzzsaw
Citizen Username: Buzzsaw
Post Number: 5277 Registered: 5-2001

| Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 3:46 pm: |
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I do that with technology.......... it works....i just checked |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4027 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 3:55 pm: |
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Dude, you have to buy one of those things, hahahaha....
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ess
Citizen Username: Ess
Post Number: 2650 Registered: 11-2001

| Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 3:57 pm: |
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Oh, come on -- I happened to be eating when I saw this. Euww! |
   
Jersey_Boy
Citizen Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 1440 Registered: 1-2006

| Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 6:36 pm: |
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Monster, I'm trying to go through to each blog and give a shout out to the Jjjjjj people but you were the mastermind, svengali of it all, so you get this.
J.B. |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4087 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 6:49 pm: |
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why thank you, thank you very much.... |
   
buzzsaw
Citizen Username: Buzzsaw
Post Number: 5422 Registered: 5-2001

| Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 12:27 pm: |
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what do you think she is saying? |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4249 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 12:37 pm: |
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something like, "well then Dave did this, and Monster said that, then buzzsaw laughed, and McCheese went bluh-bluh-bluh...." |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4347 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 2:56 pm: |
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The Eggs Are Down! Went outside with Monster Son to crack a couple of eggs, wait awhile, and see what the results will be. I have to say that it is HOT outside, it's been about 20 minutes since the cracking occured, time to go outside and check on the eggs, ugh. |
   
emmie
Supporter Username: Emmie
Post Number: 817 Registered: 3-2002

| Posted on Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 5:36 pm: |
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Hey Monster, what happened? Did they fry? |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4355 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Friday, August 4, 2006 - 3:39 pm: |
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Okay the eggs sort of fried, or just de-hydrated and coagulated. I took some pictures, made a short little movie, and was going to just put it in my .Mac folder, but then I thought, "I'll put it YouTube!", so I did. You can find Sidewalk Eggsperiment here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXyNLx9abd0 enjoy |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4556 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Sunday, August 20, 2006 - 9:41 pm: |
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for fs kin crying out loud, there are some blind blithering idiots around, aren't there? |
   
bets
Supporter Username: Bets
Post Number: 923 Registered: 6-2001

| Posted on Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 10:44 am: |
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 |
   
Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4633 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 11:32 am: |
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yikes |
   
bets
Supporter Username: Bets
Post Number: 924 Registered: 6-2001

| Posted on Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 12:09 pm: |
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Don't have to doctor that one up, eh? He's actually quite a beauty:
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Monster©
Supporter Username: Monster
Post Number: 4642 Registered: 7-2002

| Posted on Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 5:36 pm: |
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yeah right |
   
bets
Supporter Username: Bets
Post Number: 957 Registered: 6-2001

| Posted on Saturday, September 2, 2006 - 10:32 pm: |
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