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WORTH1000.COM is a pretty cool site. This is what you get from artsy/creative people with more than a little Photoshop savvy, imagination, and waaaay too much time on their hands...ENJOY!!!
Vladimir Kush is a Russian-born surrealist painter and sculptor, although he prefers to refer to his art as metaphorical realism.
He was born in 1965 in Moscow and first began drawing and showing artistic ability at the age of three or four. He would often sit on his father's lap and finish drawings his father started. He started attending an art school at the age of seven in Russia. The first half of his day was spent in regular school, meeting requirements, and the second half of the day was spent in art classes until 9pm. He entered the Moscow Art Institute at age 17, and when he went for his mandatory two years of military service at 18 was soon set to painting murals and canvases rather than regular infantry duties.
The artists who he says have influenced his style since his first experience in art school are Monet, Botticelli, Bosch, van Gogh, Dürer, Schinkel, Vermeer, and Dali to name a few. Bored with the Cézanne-style painting his art school concentrated on, Kush switched to surreal images as a teenager and painted his first surreal picture at the age of 14. He experimented with different styles of impressionism after seeing a book of Salvador Dalí's work in the late 1980s but it didn't appeal because shape was lost in the style. Strongly influenced by his father (a scientist), he believes that realistic paintings show the artist's professional skill and draw the viewer in so that they accept the impossible images enough to see the metaphors in them and explore the different layers of meaning.
In 1987, he began to sell his paintings and exhibiting them within the Union of Artists. Around the same time he was invited to paint a series of portraits for the U.S. Embassy staff however he eventually had to curtail his work on the portraits after the KGB became suspicious of his involvement with Americans because of books he had read during his time with the military.
In 1990 he showed works in Germany together with two other Russian artists; he visited Los Angeles for a show and stayed in the United States.
In 1991 he allowed his dream to become reality. For a while he was able to rent a small home garage in Los Angeles in which to paint, but couldn't find anywhere to display them. He earned his money by drawing people on the pier in Santa Monica. Eventually he spent his savings on a ticket to Hawaii and slept on the beach in Santa Monica until the flight left days later.
His art was first noticed by the Asian continent and then spread into America. In 2001 he opened his first gallery, Kush Fine Art in Lahaina, Hawaii. He also now has another Kush Fine Art Gallery in Laguna Beach, California.
The second installment of graphic selections from this French Symbolist master. Also, have a look at the lovely Odilon Redon video I've included. It shows all the exuberance, light and colour that was so prevalent in Redon's later work:
Odilon Redon was an artist of light and dark, both literally and figuratively. Along with others like Edvard Munch, Aubrey Beardsley, and Gustav Klimt, Redon is widely regarded as one of the most compelling image makers of fin de siècle Europe. During the early and middle years of his career, Redon focused on dark, somber subjects with sometimes muted and sometimes grating monochromatic tones. These graphic works have collectively come to be known as his "Noirs".
Self Portrait, 1880 Musee d'Orsay
When one surveys these "Noirs" it becomes apparent just how much Redon's imagery lifts from mythology, religion, dreams, and especially nightmares. It was only later in life that Redon came to embrace rich and vibrant colour rather than solely black and white, as exhibited in his oil and pastel paintings, and brilliantly so--but those will be for another post.
What follows are Odilon Redon's views on art in his own words:
"What distuingishes the artist from the dilettante? Only the pain the artist feels. The dilettante looks only for pleasure in art."
"My drawings inspire and are not to be defined. They determine nothing. They place us, as does music, in the ambiguous world of the undetermined. They are a kind of metaphor."
"While I recognize the necessity for a basis of observed reality... true art lies in a reality that is felt."
OK, I've been pretty lame this past week: no, elliptical, no diet, no socializing, heavy on the booze--THE USUAL! I even downloaded some Amy Winehouse (but she is good!)...I ask you, have I hit rock bottom?! Old habits do die hard as the saying goes; and looks like I pulled the stake out of this one's heart and put a band-aid on it. Oh well, TOMORROW IS A NEW DAY...
Last Thursday I went to nearby Champaign-Urbana to the campus of the U of I. There I visited the Spurlock Museum. I'd never been before, and as it turns out it's a pretty cool collection of world culture artifacts, with particular emphasis on the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, Native American (both Northern and Southern continents) and European civilizations. While overall the collection was quite interesting, I was disappointed in the dearth of display placards. "What's this?"...God only knows! If you're interested here's a locally produced (and somewhat cheesy) video segment on the museum:
The highlight for me was the Mediterranean collection, since it included direct casts of a host or original Greek and Roman sculptural masterpieces. I was amazed at how big some of these sculptures were, having only seen them in books or in slides or maybe video. The cast friezes from the Parthenon were nothing short of spectacular. It was disheartening to learn that a number of these casts were all that remained of some reliefs that were further damaged by the Turks in 1795 or more contemporaneously by the nasty ol' acid rains from our more industrialized era. As it turns out, the U of I is one of the few institutions of higher learning that did not discard their cast collection, since that academic tradition has lost favor. Here at the Spurlock they were put to wonderful use, and displayed very dramatically. Pictured below are some of the things I had the pleasure of seeing:
...OK, I'm hoping that didn't put too many of you to sleep. I finished my afternoon off in C-U by visiting my favorite Hong Kong/Chinese eatery, the Mandarin Restaurant. I really only go there for one dish: Crispy Tofu. Unfortunately I've been unable to find it anywhere else. When I first had it several years back I was amazed at just how tasty a tofu focused dish could be. The tofu was flash fried to give it an extra crispy outer crust. It was then tossed with a lightly sweet sauce and finally sprinkled with a generous helping of shaved scallions and cilantro...HEAVEN, I tell you!!! I washed it down with a delicious frozen mango smoothie/"bubble tea"...Über yummmy!!! I love the bubbles (purple pearls of tapioca)--so chewy; kind of like gummy bears. As I departed, I saw advertisement in their front window indicating that they also specialize in Hong Kong style dim sum...I'll have to run over and give it a whirl for a Saturday or Sunday morning brunch!
So..."What the Buck?" I came across Buck Hollywood's YouTube show just this weekend...My oh my, but how entertaining, funny, and cute can one guy be?! So, needless to say I have a subscription ("I have to have it!"). For those interested here are my top 5 fav's so far:
NOT SEXY!
Ellen Hates Dogs! Loves Her P*ssy!
MOST HOTTEST SMARTEST!
Gimme My Underwear Back!
NAKED VLOG TAG
And last but maybe least...KELLY!!! Thanks to Buck I was introduced to this "viral video sensation" that I was previously oblivious to...OK, so I've been living under a rock--sue me!!! I must admit though he/she (a.k.a. Liam Sullivan) is quite funny in a Kids in the Hall meets VH-1 sort of way...Had me LOL more than a few times. Again, for those interested here are five personal fav's:
Let Me Borrow That Top ("Why don't you extrapolate!")
Shoes ("I'm gonna betch-slap you shetbag!")
No Booty Calls ("Go back to first grade and get yourself a Blues Clue...")
Kelly's Hollywood Meeting ("Introducing Honey Nut Shetbags!!!")
"If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will eventually attain enlightenment, but in the meantime one will experience an increase in healing powers both for oneself and others and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering." —Lama Tashi Namgyal
Ancient teachings tell us that merely seeing the Medicine Buddha, or even seeing an image of the Medicine Buddha, or hearing the name of the Medicine Buddha, can confer inconceivable benefits. In Tibetan images of the Medicine Buddha the left hand typically holds a blooming myrobalan plant. Tibetan medicine recognizes three basic types of illness, the root causes of which are the conflicting emotions -- passion, aggression, and ignorance. Myrobalan is the only herb in the Tibetan pharmacopoeia that can aid in healing each of these three types of diseases. This is like the action of the Buddha of Healing, who has the power to see the true cause of any affliction, whether spiritual, physical or psychological, and who does whatever is necessary to alleviate it.
"His right hand is extended, palm outward, over his right knee in the gesture called supreme generosity. In it he holds the arura, or myrobalan, fruit. This plant represents all the best medicines. The position of his right hand and the arura which he holds represent the eradication of suffering, especially the suffering of sickness, using the means of relative truth. Sickness can be alleviated by adjusting the functioning of interdependent causes and conditions by the use of relative means within the realm of relative truth, such as medical treatment and so on. The giving of these methods is represented by the gesture of the Medicine Buddha's right hand.
"His left hand rests in his lap, palm upward, in the gesture of meditative stability or meditation, which represents the eradication of sickness and suffering— and, indeed, the very roots of samsara— through the realization of absolute truth. From the point of view of either relative truth or absolute truth, the fundamental cause of sickness and suffering is a lack of contentment and the addictive quality of samsara. Therefore, to indicate the need for contentment, in his left hand he holds a begging bowl."
Hadrian's villa was a complex of over 30 buildings, covering an area of at least 1 square kilometre (c. 250 acres) of which much is still unexcavated. The villa was the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian garden, recreating a sacred landscape. The complex included palaces, several thermae, theatre, temples, libraries, state rooms and quarters for courtiers, praetorians and slaves.
The Villa shows echoes of many different architectural orders, mostly Greek and Egyptian. Hadrian, a very well travelled emperor borrowed these designs, such as the caryatids by the Canopus, along with the statues beside them depicting the Egyptian dwarf and fertility god, Bes. A Greek so called "Maritime Theatre" exhibits classical ionic style, whereas the domes of the main buildings as well as the corinthian arches of the Canopus and Serapeum show clear Roman architecture. Hadrian's biography states that areas in the villa were named after places Hadrian saw during his travels. Only a few places mentioned in the biography can be accurately correlated with the present-day ruins.
One of the most striking and best preserved parts of the Villa are a pool and an artificial grotto which were named Canopus and Serapeum, respectively. Canopus was an Egyptian city where a temple (Serapeum) was dedicated to the god Serapis. However, the architecture is Greek influenced (typical in Roman architecture of the High and Late Empire) as seen in the Corinthian columns and the copies of famous Greek statues that surround the pool. One anecdote involves Serapeum and its peculiarly-shaped dome. A prominent architect of the day, Apollodorus of Damascus, dismisses Hadrian's designs, comparing the dome on Serapeum to a "pumpkin". The full quote is "Go away and draw your pumpkins. You know nothing about these [architectural] matters." Once Hadrian became emperor, Apollodorus was exiled and later put to death.
An interesting structure in the Villa is the so-called "Maritime Theatre". It consists of a round portico with a barrel vault supported by pillars. Inside the portico was a ring-shaped pool with a central island. During the ancient times the island was connected to the portico by two drawbridges. On the island sits a small Roman house complete with an atrium, a library, a triclinium and small baths. The area was probably used by the emperor as a retreat from the busy life at the court.
The villa utilizes numerous architectural styles and innovations. The area has an extensive network of underground tunnels. The tunnels were mostly used to transport servants and goods from one area to another. The paths and roads above ground were reserved for more high-ranking residents of the Villa. Domes and barrel vaults are used extensively. The domes of the steam baths have circular holes on the apex to allow steam to escape. This is reminiscent of the Pantheon, also built by Hadrian.
In 1998 the remains of the monumental tomb of Antinous, or a temple to him, were discovered at the Villa.
In the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon of enlightened beings, Chenrezig is renowned as the embodiment of the compassion of all the Buddhas, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Avalokiteshvara [a.k.a. Chenrezig] is the earthly manifestation of the self born, eternal Buddha, Amitabha. He guards this world in the interval between the historical Sakyamuni Buddha, and the next Buddha of the Future Maitreya.
According to legend, Chenrezig made a vow that he would not rest until he had liberated all the beings in all the realms of suffering. After working diligently at this task for a very long time, he looked out and realized the immense number of miserable beings yet to be saved. Seeing this, he became despondent and his head split into thousands of pieces. Amitabha Buddha put the pieces back together as a body with very many arms and many heads, so that Chenrezig could work with myriad beings all at the same time. Sometimes Chenrezig is visualized with eleven heads, and a thousand arms fanned out around him.
Chenrezig may be the most popular of all Buddhist deities, except for Buddha himself -- he is beloved throughout the Buddhist world. He is known by different names in different lands: as Avalokiteshvara in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, as Kuan-yin in China, as Kannon in Japan.
As Chenrezig, he is considered the patron Bodhisattva of Tibet, and his meditation is practiced in all the great lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The beloved king Songtsen Gampo was believed to be an emanation of Chenrezig, and some of the most respected meditation masters (lamas), like the Dalai Lamas and Karmapas, who are considered living Buddhas, are also believed to be emanations of Chenrezig.
Tibetan Monks creating a Chenrezig sand mandala. Last year I had the priviledge of seeing a similar creation that took place at Illinois Wesleyan University, here in Bloomington. It was amazing to see. I also saw a memorable performance of dance and music by the monks (from The Mystical Arts of Tibet tour)...awe inspiring to say the least.
In Tibetan Buddhism Vajrapāṇi (along with Manjushri and Avalokitesvara) is one of the three primary protectors of the Dharma (The Sacred Way). Actually, unlike Manjushri and Avalokitesvara, Vajrapāṇi is usually represented as a dharmapala. This is a special Dharma protector whose form emanates in the guise of wrath; something not too difficult to decipher when looking at a classic and very ferocious representation of this bodhisattva (see above).
Vajrapāṇi represents the infinite power of all the Buddhas. In his hand he holds the vajra or thunderbolt scepter. This symbolizes eternal wisdom. He is a theme for meditation especially when one is seeking fierce determination and the submission of negatives in the conquest for enlightenment and ultimate spiritual happiness.
Vajrapani rupa (sacred statue): Chahar, Inner Mongolia Circa 1700 Gilt brass, with lacquer and pigments, inset with gems, from the Folkens Museum Etnografiska, Stockholm
Wow...This Oscar winning short film is amazing! It's a wonderful work of animated cinematography (a work of art in its own right) about the great paintings and artist of from the mid 19th century up to the late 20th century. Can you believe it is all done in "claymation"? This 1992 production pre-dates the age of digital morphing! It's quite amazing and a real joy to watch. How many different artist's can you pick out?
Some of you may have wondered about the glass of absinthe that lately figures prominently as the wallpaper of my page. It was to be a reflection on the chosen libation for this past weekend: a bottle of Kübler Absinthe. Kübler, purported to be one of the finer genuine absinthe's produced in Switzerland, has been in recent years OK'd by the FDA for legal export to the USA. It was to be my muse; to inspire me to write something meaningful and memorable about the spell the "green fairy" had cast on all the hot spots of late 1800s fin de siècle art and culture. Artists like Van Gogh, Gauguin, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Lautrec, Wilde and numerous others all come to mind when one speaks of absinthe.
First off, the Kübler was disappointingly of the blanche variety...Who knew? I thought all absinthe's had a greenish tonality, but little did I know. So, my fairy would be pale; quite nearly albino! I also later learned that only the finest (meaning extremely expensive) absinthe's are naturally green. Apparently the vast majority have colour added. So begins the chipping away of absinthian mystique.
Perhaps the most alluring aspect of drinking absinthe is the ritual involved: The chilled crystal goblet is first filled with a modest portion of absinthe (about an ounce or a bit more). Next, the drinker rests a special slotted or perforated absinthe spoon across the rim of the goblet on which a cube of sugar (refined or unrefined--whatever the preference) is carefully placed. Then, from a crystal decanter the drinker will ever so slowly, drop by drop add fresh ice cold water to the goblet, via the slowly dissolving sugar cube and the through the slotted spoon. In good time the color of the drink goes from light emerald to a creamy light, light green. After a good stir, and perhaps just a bit more water, it's time to enjoy and imbibe the gift of La Fée Verte.
According to the Wormwood Society this is the correct preparation of absinthe (in real time).
The opacity or cloudiness (referred to as la louche by aficionados) achieved after pure absinthe and water mix is due to the insolubility of a number of the herbal ingredients--most notably Artemisia absinthium, a.k.a. wormwood. It is this now infamous essence of wormwood that was purported (and as we now know, incorrectly so) to cause delirium, hallucinations and in worst case scenarios seizures and death among the abusers of absinthe in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The toxicity was attributed to the thujone which is to be found in wormwood extract. However, most agree today that these symptoms were not incompatible with severe alcoholism (absinthism=alcoholism). And considering the high proof of absinthe (as much as 150 to 170) it's not surprising that those who abused absinthe and who attempted to go off the wicked sauce would experience such horrible side effects, and even in some cases death. So, one more towards the demystification of absinthe: thujone has no hallucinatory affects. In fact, there may be more thujone in a several sprigs of fresh herbal sage than there is in a glass or two of absinthe. Sacre bleu...thujone is ALL hype and myth!
So, now it's legal in the States. Of course, as one fascinated by all aspects of European culture, I had to personally give the green fairy a kiss myself. So, it was...The taste was not at all unpleasant, with the sweetness and bouquet of licorice and anise, and a near imperceptible bitter finish that can be attributed to the wormwood essence. But, here goes again--another fatal chip at the mystique of absinthe--for me at least. All said and drunk, I came to the conclusion that absinthe is no more than high proof over-glorified ouzo. Mind you, I like ouzo, and have a fondness for anisette's and other absinthe replacements like the French pastis Pernod Ricard. But that's just it; why pay big bucks when you could just buy a less expensive bottle of Pernod or good Ouzo and simply add less water, and perhaps a drop or two of green vegetable based food colouring (for added faux fée charm)?
While I still adore the ritualism involved, absinthe has largely lost its mystique for me. The "bad boy" of alcoholic drinks may be back, but he's largely all bark and no bite. But still, there is the history...It remains quite fascinating. The art it inspired, the artifacts that remain. What follows are a few of the art and artifacts as well as a few related YouTube finds that might be of interest...ENJOY (and please drink responsibly )!!!
Forbidden Fruit: The Absinthe Drinker
Now a bit of absinthian and literary humour (kind of funny!): Strindberg & Helium in "Absinthe and Women"
Some Absinthe Related Art & Vintage Posters:
Edgar Degas - The Absinthe Drinkers, 1876 (Musee d'Orsay)
CARAVAGGIO, Michelangelo Merisi da or Amerigi da Caravaggio, 1571–1610, Italian painter. His surname, Caravaggio, came from his birthplace. After an apprenticeship in Milan, he arrived (1592) in Rome where he eventually became a pensioner of Cardinal Francesco del Monte for whom he produced several paintings, among them the Concert of Youths (Metropolitan Mus.). Most of Caravaggio's genre pieces, such as the Fortune Teller (Louvre), are products of his early Roman years, but after completing the Calling of St. Matthew and the Martyrdom of St. Matthew (c.1598–99; San Luigi de' Francesi, Rome), he devoted himself almost exclusively to religious compositions and portraiture. His violent temper and erratic disposition involved him in several brawls, and in 1606 he fled Rome after killing a young man in a duel. He spent the last four years of his life in Naples, Malta, Syracuse, and Messina. A revolutionary in art, Caravaggio was accused of imitating nature at the expense of ideal beauty. In religious scenes his use of models from the lower walks of life was considered irreverent. He generally worked directly on the canvas, a violation of current artistic procedure. His strong chiaroscuro technique of partially illuminating figures against a dark background was immediately adopted by his contemporaries, and although he had no pupils, the influence of his art was enormous.
"All works, no matter what or by whom painted, are nothing but bagatelles and childish trifles... unless they are made and painted from life, and there can be nothing... better than to follow nature." ~ quote attributed to Caravaggio
[Michelangelo Merisi da] Caravaggio (1573-1610). Probably the most revolutionary artist of his time, the Italian painter Caravaggio abandoned the rules that had guided a century of artists before him. They had idealized the human and religious experience.
He was born Michelangelo Merisi on Sept. 28, 1573, in Caravaggio, Italy. As an adult he would become known by the name of his birthplace. Orphaned at age 11, he was apprenticed to the painter Simone Peterzano of Milan for four years. At some time between 1588 and 1592, Caravaggio went to Rome and worked as an assistant to painters of lesser skill. About 1595 he began to sell his paintings through a dealer. The dealer brought Caravaggio to the attention of Cardinal Francesco del Monte.
Through the cardinal, Caravaggio was commissioned, at age 24, to paint for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. In its Contarelli Chapel Caravaggio's realistic naturalism first fully appeared in three scenes he created of the life of St. Matthew. The works caused public outcry, however, because of their realistic and dramatic nature.
This is a Y360 post (actually my first attempt at blogging) that it VERY dear to my heart. For whatever reason this post didn't make it with the rest during the transmigration of blog material. So, without further ado...HERE'S MONA!!!
Italian shoes...Italian food...Italian cars...Italian movies...and yes, even Italian leather sofas! Great exports, no doubt. But, above all else (imo) is Italian ART. If you're not an art lover or at least mildly interested in the results of those dabs of paint and chippings of marble or wood, it might be hard to understand why I would feel so strongly about the topic. Some people may think if you're into all this "artsy fartsy" stuff, you're a stuffy snobby sort. To be quite honest, yes, that is sometimes the case. And it's these types of heavy-handed pompous jack asses (i.e. an as yet undetermined percentage of the Academia) that you should avoid, if you really want to enjoy the pleasures of art.
For me it started when I was just a kid, albeit a nerdy bookworm of a kid. When I was about five or six I discovered one of the investments my parents had made for their children's education--the Groliers Encyclopedia set. Yes, this was well before the Internet, let alone home computers. Like all good moms, mine did make sure I actually played outside. But truth be told, one of my favorite things was to pour over the Groliers. Yes, I was and still am a fact freak; hopefully not to the annoying extent of say Cliff Claven, but a definite trivia buff nonetheless. The articles that most attracted me were the ones on the various periods and schools of painting and sculpture. The "pretty pictures" had me transfixed, stirring my imagination and interest to make art myself.
Soon, and ever so unexpectedly, there was a special lady in my life. She was darkly mysterious, with her limpid heavy eyes and quizzical half smile. Not the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, that was for certain. But she had an undeniable and inimitable charm and allure. And such lovely soft folded hands. There was a sadness about her, almost as if she was finally making an appearance after a long mourning period. She was not an easy one to figure out, which made her all the more appealing to my young untempered eyes.
In second grade my class got one of those scholastic children's book catalogues. This one was cool though because it had picture prints that you could order along with the books. There she was, and for only one dollar too! Finally I could have my very own picture of her; one not stuck between the pages of the Groliers. When the picture finally arrived I started making numerous drawings of her. Most of them were ball-point or pencil scribblings that paled to nothing when compared to the original article. But somehow, each time I made an attempt to recapture her sphinx-like visage, I felt like I came to know her just a bit more. That was my Mona Lisa. Unbeknown to me she, as it turned out, was also THE superstar ambassador of the arts; and of near mythical proportions too.
Needless to say, my relationship with Mona has changed quite a bit over the years. The more I learned about her, and especially her maker, the more I became intrigued. Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is definitely a good read, especially if you suspend your belief on numerous points of contention regarding Leonardo and his work. The androgyny of Mona Lisa is pretty obvious. There is a lot of the artist in this painting. It may have started out as a portrait of an aristocratic lady, but in the four years or so that it took him to complete the painting, a good deal of Leonardo's physiognomy seems to have seeped into the creation. Whether this was intentional or not is up for scholarly debate. While a melding of the Egyptian gods Amon and Isis makes for a good and fanciful read, I don't buy it as a valid subtext for Leonardo's painting. Leo was not a grand master of some underground order of the holy grail. He was far too busy for the trivial and petty religious concerns of the day. He had his supreme interest in what was for him the closest thing to religion: Nature and Science.
It's been quite awhile since I last tried copying one of my all time favorite paintings. Actually, it's been quite awhile since I did anything in the fine arts realm. But lately the the urge has been strong. My dear Mom keeps egging me on to get back into the swing of things artistically. A watercolor set for my birthday, a book on Leonardo's drawings for Christmas...hint, hint. At some point it's bound to happen, brush or pencil in hand, I will once again commune with my lady.
NOTE: I imagine my sentimental tendencies are pretty apparent in these ruminations. Sentimentality is quite undervalued in this high tech fast paced world we live in. It can be a thing of refuge and comfort, as well as a starting point for new experiences and ideas. It can be a foundation, a touchstone for things you value most in life. They should not be something to be ashamed of and to bury underneath a supposedly more mature and sophisticated outlook of the world. That's not to say I advocate overly maudlin recounting of one's past, but you know what I mean. There's always a happy balance with objectivity that needs to be maintained. Maybe this is kitsch, maybe not. I've always found kitsch to be great fun!
According to legend, Sebastian, born to a wealthy family in the third century, converted to Christianity as a young adult. A favorite of the Emperor Diocletian, Sebastian was appointed Captain of the Guard in the Imperial Roman Army. Diocletian was unaware of Sebastian's faith, but during the emperor's persecution of the Christians, Sebastian visited Christian prisoners in order to provide them supplies and solace; furthermore, he converted, among others, the jailers and the Prefect of Rome. An infuriated Diocletian demanded Sebastian renounce Christianity, and Sebastian refused. The emperor ordered that Sebastian be executed. Roman soldiers tied him to a tree, and archers shot him with arrows. Miraculously, however, he did not die, and after his wounds healed, he returned to the emperor's palace, where he intercepted Diocletian and denounced his persecution of the Christians. Diocletian ordered Sebastian be clubbed to death and tossed into a sewer. Subsequently, Christians retrieved Sebastian's corpse and buried his remains on the Appian Way. Sebastian is revered as a martyr and is the patron saint of archers, soldiers, athletes, and sufferers of the plague.
ST SEBASTIAN IN ART: St. Sebastian in Art Starting in the Renaissance, artists frequently portrayed Sebastian as a young man, virtually naked, bound to a tree, and pierced with arrows, his face either passive or displaying religious ecstasy. According to art historian Richard E. Spear, the St. Sebastian story provided artists the rare opportunity to paint the male form at a time when images of the nude female predominated in the art world. Depictions of St. Sebastian's martyrdom were popular and appeared in the work of many artists, including Guido Reni, Giuseppi Cesari, Carlo Saraceni, and Giovanni Bazzi, the latter known as "Il Sodoma" due to his proclivity for painting and consorting with young men.
ST SEBASTIAN & HOMOEROTICISM: Alongside the Christian legends of St. Sebastian, there developed stories that led to the martyr’s being appropriated as a homoerotic icon. Some tales speculate that the Emperor Diocletian made romantic advances upon Sebastian and was enraged when Sebastian rejected him on Christian grounds. Other stories actually refer to Sebastian as the emperor’s lover. Whether or not such accounts are legitimate, the image of St. Sebastian has been linked to homoeroticism, the critic Georges Eekhond being the first to note this connection in 1909.
Gay artists and critics, too, have responded to the homoerotic elements in Sebastian's portrayal. For instance, in novelist Yukio Mishimi's autobiographical Confessions of a Mask, the narrator ties his homosexual awakening with his discovery of a copy of Reni's St. Sebastian. Oscar Wilde, who used the name "Sebastian" as an alias while in France and regarded Reni's Sebastian as the artist's most beautiful work, visited Sebastian's grave, reflecting, "the vision of Guido's St. Sebastian came before my eyes as I saw him at Genoa, a lovely brown boy, with crisp, clustering hair and red lips, raising his eyes with divine, impassioned gaze towards the Eternal Beauty of the opening Heavens." And gay critic James Saslow, in a discussion of Sodoma's Sebastian, notes that the saint "writhes in ostensibly religious ecstasy open to multiple personalized interpretations, from the epitome of sado-masochism to the artist's comment on his own public 'martyrdom.'"
Twentieth-century artists have utilized the homoerotic facets of the St. Sebastian legend in their own work. Klaus Bodanze has clad Sebastian in leather (St. Sebastian in Leather), Alfred Courmes has incorporated him into a 'fetish painting' (St. Sebastian Sailor), and Julian Schnabel has linked him with the devastation of AIDS (Fox Farm Paintings).
Tennessee Williams, who came from a "high church" Episcopalian tradition and converted to Catholicism, was familiar with the images and tales of St. Sebastian. His poem "San Sebastiano de Sodoma" celebrates both the religious aspects of St. Sebastian's story, as well as the tradition that has made the saint an icon of homosexuality."
The Order was founded in 1981 by The American Orthodox Church (Western Rite), under the guidance of (now deceased) The Most Reverend R. V. Bernard Dawe, the Metropolitan archbishop of the American Orthodox Church, in the tradition of the great Christian Orders of Chivalry. Saint Sebastian of Port Royal was founded as a religious order of formation for this Church.
Saint Sebastian was a Roman soldier who died honorably for his faith, and advanced Christianity in Europe. Port Royal was a convent in France that stood against changing political climes in France to maintain the practice of their Faith. The Order, then, is dedicated to the Defense of the Faith and the relief of suffering. Saint Sebastian's Feast Day is January 20th, and he is the patron saint of soldiers. His legend may be read by clicking here.
Membership is restricted to those of Christian Faith and of good moral character."
"According to his legend, Sebastian was born at Narbonne, Gaul. He became a soldier in the Roman army at Rome in about 283, and encouraged Marcellian and Marcus, under sentence of death, to remain firm in their faith. Sebastian made numerous converts: among them were the master of the rolls, Nicostratus, who was in charge of prisoners and his wife, Zoe, a deaf mute whom he cured; the jailer Claudius; Chromatius, Prefect of Rome, whom he cured of gout; and Chromatius' son, Tiburtius. Chromatius set the prisoners free, freed his slaves, and resigned as prefect.
Sebastian was named captain in the praetorian guards by Emperor Diocletian, as did Emperor Maximian when Diocletian went to the East. Neither knew that Sebastian was a Christian. When it was discovered during Maximian's persecution of the Christians that Sebastian was indeed a Christian, he was ordered executed. He was shot with arrows and left for dead, but when the widow of St. Castulus went to recover his body, she found he was still alive and nursed him back to health. Soon after, Sebastian intercepted the Emperor, denounced him for his cruelty to Christians, and was beaten to death on the Emperor's orders.
Saint Sebastian was venerated at Milan as early as the time of St. Ambrose and was buried on the Appian Way. He is patron of archers, athletes, and soldiers, and is appealed to for protection against plagues.
[He is patron saint of athletes because of his physical endurance and his energetic way of spreading and defending the Faith. Sebastian is also patron to all soldiers. He entered the Roman army under Emperor Carinus in 283 in order to defend the confessors and martyrs of his day without drawing attention to himself. His efforts kept the Faith of Marcus and Marcellian firm during their persecutions, right up to the time of their martyrdom. He was declared patron of plague sufferers of his reported cures of those afflicted with many diseases.]"
In Tibetan images of the Medicine Buddha the left hand typically holds a blooming myrobalan plant. Tibetan medicine recognizes three basic types of illness, the root causes of which are the conflicting emotions -- passion, aggression, and ignorance. Myrobalan is the only herb in the Tibetan pharmacopoeia that can aid in healing each of these three types of diseases. This is like the action of the Buddha of Healing, who has the power to see the true cause of any affliction, whether spiritual, physical or psychological, and who does whatever is necessary to alleviate it. 
