Album cover forย I Am a Bird Now, second album by New York City based band Anohni and the Johnsons (previously Antony and the Johnsons); released on February 2005
Hujar portraits ยท Candy Darling
Tag: LGBT
Tรคnzerin Maja Lex (1906 โ 1986)
In Munich, Maja Lex was first a student member but soon, together with Gunild Keetmann and the founders Dorothee Gรผnther and Carl Orff, belonged to the leading teaching staff of the Gรผnther-Schule, a forward-looking school with a trebly diversified training concept of integrative musical and movement education. War events disrupted this unique constellation of artistic and educational personalities.
Maja Lex developed a new movement and dance education of a timeless pedagogic and artistic value. She liberated herself from the formalized practice/exercise/training and introduced instead the varied movements of rhythmic-dynamic, spatial and formal variation. Structured improvisation, similar to musical improvisation, was established as a definite component of the teaching lesson.
As a solo dancer and choreographer of Tanzgruppe Gรผnther, Maja Lex was a pioneer of the New German Dance (Neuer Deutscher Tanz) in the 1930s. She created a specific dancing style of a โthrilling rhythmic intensityโ, a definite feeling for form and a high technical dancing discipline. Music and dance became elements of equal value, not least because of the use of rhythm instruments for the dance and for the orchestra of Gรผnther-Schule, where dancers and musicians changed roles. The director of the orchestra was Gunild Keetmann. Maja Lexโs dances belong to the absolute dance. / quoted from Elementarer Tanz
From 1927, Maja Lex performed her own choreographies. As a soloist and choreographer of the Tanzgruppe Gรผnther-Mรผnchen (lead by Dorothee Gรผnther), she made her decisive breakthrough in 1930 with the “Barbarian Suite” in collaboration with the musical director of the group, the composer Gunild Keetman. Numerous guest performances and awards at home and abroad followed until the school was forcibly closed in 1944 and finally destroyed in 1945.
Maja Lex, who had been very ill since the beginning of the 1940s, moved to Rome in 1948 and lived there together with Dorothee Gรผnther in the house of her mutual friend Myriam Blanc. At the beginning of the 1950s Maja Lex resumed her artistic-pedagogical work and taught at the German Sport University Cologne at the invitation of Liselott Diem. From the mid-1950s until 1976, she taught the main training subject “Elementary Dance” as a senior lecturer. The concept of elementary dance was further developed by her and later in collaboration with her successor Graziela Padilla at the German Sports University Cologne. / quoted from queer places
Cecil Beaton self-portraits
Berg and Hoeg ยท herstory in a box
In a box marked โprivateโ, an amazing collection of glass plates were found 30 years ago, amongst the remnants of the two portrait photographers Marie Hรธeg (1866-1949) and Bolette Berg (1872-1944).
In 1895, they established the Berg & Hรธeg photography studio in Horten, Norway, where they took portraits and views of Horten and surroundings and lived on the proceeds from sales. At that time, photography was seen as a decent and acceptable profession for women, as it was a profession that demanded a certain amount of aesthetic sense โ as part of the female nature.
Horten was a naval base with the main shipyard for the Norwegian navy and had a strong flow of people who needed photographs for celebration and recollection. Perhaps that is how the two photographers understood by the very process of portraiture how important it is to stage oneself and to what a large degree that contributes to how we are perceived.
The Preus museum collection has 440 glass negatives from Berg & Hรธeg. Among the cartons in the 1980s were discovered some on which had been written โprivate.โ It is not unusual that photographers also have private photographs in their archives. But these were not ordinary keepsake pictures. They indicate that the two photographers, especially Marie Hรธeg, experimented with various gender roles.
Imagine the fun they must have had, cross-dressing and playing! At the same time, the images are deeply serious, as they reflect upon the expectations and attitudes towards women, and their lack of rights and freedom. We know that Hรธeg was the extrovert and started groups to fight for womenโs rights. Bolette Berg was less in the public view. However, she must have been back of the camera in many of these photographs, which have attracted international notice.
We find several such boundary-breaking photographic projects in Europe and America around 1900. They correspond with womenโs battle for full civil rights and the right to define their own identity. So these photographs are a part of an international history โ or herstory โ that has meaning and recognition value for all women, including now.
All images are digital reproductions of the original glass plates. Some of the plates have cracks and damages, left visible in the reproductions.
All images and text retrieved from The Preus museum on Flickr
Herstory ยท Berg and Hoeg
Short hair, direct gaze to the camera, and a cigarette dangling. (ca. 1895-1903)
In a box marked โprivateโ, an amazing collection of glassplates were found 30 years ago, amongst the remnants of the two portrait photographers Marie Hรธeg (1866-1949) and Bolette Berg (1872-1944).
In 1895, they established the Berg & Hรธeg photography studio in Horten, Norway, where they took portraits and views of Horten and surroundings and lived on the proceeds from sales. At that time, photography was seen as a decent and acceptable profession for women, as it was a profession that demanded a certain amount of aesthetic sense โ as part of the female nature.
Horten was a naval base with the main shipyard for the Norwegian navy and had a strong flow of people who needed photographs for celebration and recollection. Perhaps that is how the two photographers understood by the very process of portraiture how important it is to stage oneself and to what a large degree that contributes to how we are perceived.
The Preus museum collection has 440 glass negatives from Berg & Hรธeg. Among the cartons in the 1980s were discovered some on which had been written โprivate.โ It is not unusual that photographers also have private photographs in their archives. But these were not ordinary keepsake pictures. They indicate that the two photographers, especially Marie Hรธeg, experimented with various gender roles.
Imagine the fun they must have had, cross-dressing and playing! At the same time, the images are deeply serious, as they reflect upon the expectations and attitudes towards women, and their lack of rights and freedom. We know that Hรธeg was the extrovert and started groups to fight for womenโs rights. Bolette Berg was less in the public view. However, she must have been back of the camera in many of these photographs, which have attracted international notice.
We find several such boundary-breaking photographic projects in Europe and America around 1900. They correspond with womenโs battle for full civil rights and the right to define their own identity. So these photographs are a part of an international history โ or herstory โ that has meaning and recognition value for all women, including now.
All images are digital reproductions of the original glass plates. Some of the plates have cracks and damages, left visible in the reproductions.
All images and text retrieved from The Preus museum on Flickr
Private photo box ยท Berg and Hoeg
The Preus museum collection on Flickr
In a box marked โprivateโ, an amazing collection of glass plates were found 30 years ago, amongst the remnants of the two portrait photographers Marie Hรธeg (1866-1949) and Bolette Berg (1872-1944).
In 1895, they established the Berg & Hรธeg photography studio in Horten, Norway, where they took portraits and views of Horten and surroundings and lived on the proceeds from sales. At that time, photography was seen as a decent and acceptable profession for women, as it was a profession that demanded a certain amount of aesthetic sense โ as part of the female nature.
Horten was a naval base with the main shipyard for the Norwegian navy and had a strong flow of people who needed photographs for celebration and recollection. Perhaps that is how the two photographers understood by the very process of portraiture how important it is to stage oneself and to what a large degree that contributes to how we are perceived.
Photo: Berg & Hoeg, ca. 1895-1903
The Preus museum collection has 440 glass negatives from Berg & Hรธeg. Among the cartons in the 1980s were discovered some on which had been written โprivate.โ It is not unusual that photographers also have private photographs in their archives. But these were not ordinary keepsake pictures. They indicate that the two photographers, especially Marie Hรธeg, experimented with various gender roles.
Imagine the fun they must have had, cross-dressing and playing! At the same time, the images are deeply serious, as they reflect upon the expectations and attitudes towards women, and their lack of rights and freedom. We know that Hรธeg was the extrovert and started groups to fight for womenโs rights. Bolette Berg was less in the public view. However, she must have been back of the camera in many of these photographs, which have attracted international notice.
We find several such boundary-breaking photographic projects in Europe and America around 1900. They correspond with womenโs battle for full civil rights and the right to define their own identity. So these photographs are a part of an international history โ or herstory โ that has meaning and recognition value for all women, including now.
All images are digital reproductions of the original glass plates. Some of the plates have cracks and damages, left visible in the reproductions. (quoted from the Album description)
All images from this post were retrieved from The Preus museum collection hosted on Flickr. Link to album (x)
Mรคdchen in Uniform ยท 1958
Manuela von Meinhardis (Romy Schneider) enjoys the peace and quietness while fishing with her classmate Johanna (Paulette Dubost). A rare fun away from the strict girls’ school. Scene from Mรคdchen in Uniform, directed by Geza von Radvanyi (Germany / France, 1958). Produced by: Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)
Tortola Valencia en La Serpiente
All images retrieved from Centre de Documentaciรณ i Museu de les Arts Escรจniques (cdmae) / Arxiu Tรณrtola Valencia
Tortola Valencia en Danza Incaica
El escritor Luis Antonio de Villena fue el recuperador de la figura de Tรณrtola en los artรญculos y prรณlogos que dedicรณ desde 1975 al novelista decadente Antonio de Hoyos y Vinent (รฉste fue uno de los tres hombres con los que se relacionรณ amorosamente a Tรณrtola)โlos otros fueron el rey Alfonso XIII y el archiduque Josรฉ de Bavieraโ. Con Antonio, Carmen solo compartiรณ una densa amistad que les sirviรณ para ocultar sus verdaderas preferencias amorosas. Estos cรฉlebres nombres alimentaban el universo de Carmen que ella misma aderezaba a su antojo. Cuenta De Villena que cuando estrenรณ la llamada Danza incaica โinventada por ella mismaโ con un vestido lleno de tubitos color hueso, dijo que era un vestido hecho con huesos de los conquistadores. Nadie lo creรญa pero quedaba muy bien. Sin duda, la leyenda es parte de la creaciรณn del artista y en el periodo simbolista de entresiglos se dio abundantemente.
quoted from Jot down : Tรณrtola Valencia: entre la danza y el deseo
All images retrieved from Centre de Documentaciรณ i Museu de les Arts Escรจniques (cdmae) / Arxiu Tรณrtola Valencia
Carmen Tรณrtola Valencia (Sevilla, 18 de junio de 1882 – Barcelona, 13 de febrero de 1955)
De padre catalรกn (Florenรง Tรณrtola Ferrer) y madre andaluza (Georgina Valencia Valenzuela), cuando tenรญa tres aรฑos su familia emigrรณ a Londres. Sus padres murieron en Oaxaca (Mรฉxico) en 1891 y 1894 respectivamente. Se ha especulado mucho sobre su misterioso origen; segรบn algunos era una bastarda de la familia real espaรฑola, segรบn otros era hija de un noble inglรฉs. En su libro Tรณrtola Valencia and Her Times (1982), Odelot Sobrac, uno de sus primeros biรณgrafos, afirma que desarrollรณ un estilo propio que expresaba la emociรณn con el movimiento y se inspirรณ al parecer en Isadora Duncan.
Especialista en danzas orientales, se interesรณ sobre todo por las danzas africanas, รกrabes e indias, que reinterpretรณ a su modo, investigando en todo tipo de bibliotecas; en cierto sentido llevรณ la antropologรญa a la danza; su versatilidad como bailarina quedรณ sin embargo probada a lo largo de su vida. Su fama trascendiรณ los lรญmites profesionales a causa de sus innumerables amantes (gobernantes y escritores de renombre), por su belleza andaluza de ojos negros (fue considerada una de las mujeres mรกs bellas de Europa) y por sus extensos conocimientos fruto de sus numerosos viajes y su pasiรณn por la vida. Su primera apariciรณn pรบblica fue en 1908 en el Gaity Theatre de Londres como parte del espectรกculo Habana.
Ese mismo aรฑo fue invitada a bailar en el Wintergarten y en el Folies Bergรจre. Allรญ fue denominada ยซLa Bella Valenciaยป, una nueva favorita del pรบblico como La Bella Otero o Raquel Meller. Al aรฑo siguiente bailรณ en Nรผrenberg y Londres. Fue invitada a unirse al Cirkus Varietรฉ de Copenhague con Alice Rรฉjane. Estuvo en Grecia, Rusia e India. Su debut espaรฑol fue en 1911 en el Teatro Romea en Madrid. Volviรณ al mismo teatro en 1912. Fue nombrada en 1912 socia de honor y profesora estรฉtica del Gran Teatro de Arte de Mรบnich. En 1913 hizo una gira por Espaรฑa que incluyรณ el Ateneo de Madrid. En 1915 actuรณ con Raquel Meller en Barcelona.
En 1916, Tรณrtola fue caricaturizada en la revista de humor catalana Papitu como otra Mata Hari. Fue sin embargo su arte mรกs bien apreciado por los intelectuales que por la gran masa del pรบblico. Emilia Pardo Bazรกn dijo de ella que era la personificaciรณn del Oriente y la reencarnaciรณn de Salomรฉ. Tรณrtola fue una artista eclรฉctica y polifacรฉtica. En 1915 actuรณ en los filmes Pasionaria y Pacto de lรกgrimas, dirigidos por Joan Maria Codina. Viajรณ a Nueva York para actuar en el Century Theatre.
En 1920 la Galerรญa Laietana de Barcelona exhibiรณ 45 de sus pinturas sobre danza. Al aรฑo siguiente marchรณ de gira por Hispanoamรฉrica. Entre 1921 y 1930 alcanzรณ allรญ una gran popularidad.
Fue una gran aficionada al arte precolombino, llegando a constituir una excelente colecciรณn de piezas procedentes de las mรกs variadas civilizaciones del continente americano, especialmente de Mรฉxico y Perรบ.
Su independencia y vida desenvuelta fue sentida como una amenaza para los valores tradicionales de la sociedad espaรฑola. Fue una pionera de la liberaciรณn de la mujer, como Isadora Duncan, Virginia Woolf y Sarah Bernhardt. Era budista y vegetariana, fue morfinรณmana y abogรณ por la aboliciรณn del corsรฉ que impedรญa el libre movimiento femenino. Aunque tuvo numerosos amantes masculinos, sobre todo intelectuales, viviรณ la mayor parte de su vida con una mujer, รngeles Magret Vilรก, a la que adoptรณ como hija para guardar las apariencias. Quizรก por ello defendiรณ a capa y espada su intimidad y se destila de sus orรญgenes cierto misterio. Abandonรณ la danza el 23 de noviembre de 1930 en Guayaquil (Ecuador).
En 1931 se declarรณ republicana catalana y marchรณ a Barcelona con รngeles. Dedicรณ los รบltimos aรฑos de su vida a coleccionar grabados y estampas y se iniciรณ en el budismo. Muriรณ el 15 de marzo de 1955 en su casa del barrio de Sarriรก en Barcelona. Creรณ la Danza del incienso, La bayadera, Danza africana, Danza de la serpiente y Danza รกrabe. Aparece como personaje en la novela Divino de Luis Antonio de Villena, y Ramรณn Lรณpez Velarde le dedicรณ el poema Fรกbula dรญstica. Prestรณ su imagen para el perfume “Maja” de la conocida casa de cosmรฉticos Myrurgia.
Su contribuciรณn al arte de la danza consistiรณ en una sensibilidad y orientaciรณn estรฉtica que ponรญan de manifiesto la sensualidad del cuerpo. La danza moderna, calificada entonces de irreverente por natural, respondรญa a sus ideales modernistas empapados de filosofรญas orientales.
El fondo de partituras de Tรณrtola Valencia se conserva en la Biblioteca de Cataluรฑa. El resto, que incluye 112 piezas de indumentaria y complementos, 246 cuadros y dibujos, casi 1500 fotografรญas y carpetas de gran formato con carteles, fotografรญas, recortes e impresos y testigos de su vida artรญstica y social se conserva en el Museo de las Artes Escรฉnicas (MAE) del Instituto del Teatro de Barcelona. El MAE conserva ademรกs algunas tarjetas postales, programas de mano y 2 volรบmenes de epistolario con el tรญtulo genรฉrico de “Los poetas a Tรณrtola Valencia”.
quoted from the wikipedia entry (in Spanish)
Chappell as Creole boy ยท 1935
un regard oblique 