Top 5: Pieces of Visual Art

I'm back. Again. Probably not for the last time.

Moebius
Postcard published by Editions Gentiane, 1983.
Image Credit

My current Top 5 is motivated by two recent events.  First of all, I watched Exit Through the Gift Shop not too long ago and since then I've been more cognizant of the artistic value (or lack thereof) of the images I'm surrounded by. Secondly (in presentation only), I saw Eyestone post about the recent passing of Moebius, a French comics artist who had a rather dramatic impact on not only comics art, but the art world at large. I have to say I was relatively unfamiliar with the work of Moebius until his death and similarly, I was fairly ignorant of most of the street artists (Bansky & Shepard Fairey aside) showcased in Exit Through the Gift Shop (the movie is fantastic, go watch it if you haven't already, it's streaming on Netflix). I'm here to remedy this ignorance.

In honor of Moebius and in order for all of us to take a few minutes to appreciate the visual art our friends find captivating, I call for your Top 5 pieces of visual art. Links are a must. To make this easier on those of us who aren't well-versed in the art world (and easier for those of you who would have a hard time only posting five because this kind of art takes up 95% of your waking attention) you can narrow your list any way you like. Maybe you want to only post your most recent faves, or maybe you want to limit yourself to a certain medium?

Top 5: Songs from an Artist

Since people seem to be a little aloof with these lists, I'll throw one up that's customizable for each of us. Here you need to pick a band/artist and then give us your Top 5 songs from the artist. This way you can choose your current favorite, or maybe an all-time favorite. You can't blow this off because you literally choose something you like to write a list about. Yes, this is a guilt trip.

Me when you guys ignore this blog.

Top 5: Songs to Share

Hello internets!

I am currently enthralled with Spotify. If you aren't jive to the hip I'm spilling, Spotify is a program you download to your desktop that let's you stream as much music as you want for free (for now; the free model will be limited to 10 hrs/mo or so in 6 months, but for now, it's unlimited). If you don't have Spotify you have to sign up for an invite from their site and from what I've seen so far it doesn't take long to get in.

Now, it doesn't have EVERYTHING that's been made ever, but it has a TON of music, including most of the stuff I've searched for. Now, the reason I say all of this is because I'm ready to branch out and try some new music. So what I'm thinking is we all share our Top 5 songs we love and want others to hear (Ian's dream list, besides Top 5 TV shows to make other people watch, but force them to watch specific episodes with him). Once a list is posted, I will make an effort to listen to everyone's suggestions at least 3-4 times and try to expand my horizons; ya'll may want to join me in listening to others' tracks if you have the means.

All your music is belong to me!


Image credit: http://technobuffalo.technobuffalo.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/07/Spotify-US.jpg

Top 5: Dishes

Here's a chance to wax culinary poetics. Whether you're a self-described foodie, just love fast-food, or are a cheese puff connoisseur, lay out your top five delectable dishes.

Image credit: http://www.hoalian.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/junk-food-002.jpg

Top 5: Stories

I'm leaving this intentionally vague so bring in whatever you like; comics, TV shows, movies, books, short stories, personal anecdotes, etc. These can be quick, one sentence descriptions or long, drawn out stories. Let's share some amazing tales!

Top 5: Sidekicks

This week I was looking around, thinking about what new Top 5 to do when I spied my comic books. However, instead of thinking about all the awesomeness on the covers, I started thinking about all those crazy cool characters not in titles. So here goes, give up your Top 5 comic book characters who aren't title characters. No Batmen, Supermen, Wonder Women, Aquamen... You get the picture.

Brightest day...

I find myself striving to concentrate on the happiest of times more and more these days. While I'm not always successful, I find that the effort it takes to try to look on the bright side no matter what is happening will always lead to some positive results.

So take a moment, smile, and reflect on your Top 5 moments of 2011 thus far. These can be huge milestones or simple moments; just make sure you take some time to re-live the bright spots :)