THE CURIOUS & GROTESQUE HISTORY OF THE ANATOMICAL MODEL
This face of a man with syphilis is part of a a new exhibition opening at the Wellcome Collection in London next week. It's called Exquisite Bodies and it's all about anatomical models and the Victorian gentleman who collected them. See more over at Morbid Anatomy.
In the 19th century, despite the best efforts of body snatchers, the demand from medical schools for fresh cadavers far outstripped the supply. One solution to this gruesome problem came in the form of lifelike wax models. These models often took the form of alluring female figures that could be stripped and split into different sections. Other models were more macabre, showing the body ravaged by 'social diseases' such as venereal disease, tuberculosis and alcohol and drug addiction.
With their capacity to titillate as well as educate, anatomical models became sought-after curiosities; displayed not only in dissecting rooms but also in sideshows and the curiosity cabinets of wealthy Victorian gentlemen. For a small admission fee, visitors seeking an unusual afternoon's entertainment could visit displays of these strange dolls in London, Paris, Brussels and Barcelona.
THE ART COLLECTOR GUILD
When she starts talking about these three young talented painters (Monet and Jongkind, forgot the last one) going to the seashore to paint, I think she wets her pants (around 1:03). And then 2:39 when she talks about "sunrise impressionism". And then she definitily enjoys it at 3:46.
TANUKI'S FANTASTICAL TESTICLES
Back in the heady summer of 1842, Japanese artisti Kadzusa-ya Iwazô thought it would hilarious to publish a series of prints illustrating the fabled ability of raccoon dogs (?) to enlarge their scrotums to gargantuan dimensions.
POLAROIDS AT THE BEACH
Here's some sunny music to mosey along the beach to - if not in body then just in mind, if you're that way inclined. Grab the MP3 mix and tracklistings here: bobkast #27: Polaroids At The Beach
CUMBIA AMAZONICA PSICODELICO = CHICHA
Chicha started out in the late 60s, in the oil-boom cities of the Peruvian Amazon. Cumbias Amazonicas, as they were first known, were loosely inspired by Colombian cumbias but incorporated Andean melodies and the psychedelic sounds of surf guitars, wah-wah pedals, farfisa organs and moog synthesizers. Get more Chicha.
HOW TO MAKE A FLY-POWERED PLANE
During their 2-week lifespan, flies mainly crawl around on excrement, rebound off the inside of windows, and lay eggs in carcasses. At least this guy's put them to some use.
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