Mani the Parakeet, Paul the Octopus - and (new) Sockeye Salmon

Now we have a fortune-telling or "prediction competition" between two non-humans:  Mani, the 13-year old Parakeet in Singapore, who predicted all 4 quarterfinal matches and the two semi-finals correctly (Mani says Holland will win the final tomorrow), and Paul in Oberhausen, Germany, the 3-year old Octopus who has picked Spain to win it all!
Since we’re on the subject, did you know some smartalec coined the word “soccer” from the words “Associated Football”.  Now I'm asking you! Some bright light of the human species spotted 3 letters and made a whole new word out of it.  (A new name was necessary because "Football" in America points to another game with a ball. In that game the ball is thrown by hand more than played with the “foot”. Ho-ho!)
Speaking of words:    SUK-KEGH  (Sockeye Salmon) 

Another item about a name.  We live here on the Pacific coast in beautiful Victoria and are privileged to be able to have fresh Salmon on the menu, that I cook.  As you know there are various species, and the one we're enjoying fresh these dayas is Sockeye.  Now, I’m asking you again, giving a fish a name by a combination of the words “sock” and “eye”!
Who on earth coined that one, we asked?  So we did some research and sure enough, some English brain heard the Coast Salish word for Sockeye, “Suk-kegh”, meaning “Red Fish”, and what he heard has been carved in stone, as Sockeye.

All we need now is to find a local native from the Coast Salish who can teach us how to pronounce “Suk-kegh”.  My guess is “sook-ke”.
Back to the World Cup: now we await in a few hours the outcome of the consolation prize, and the tomorrow results of the mega trophy match. The Oracle of Oberhausen, Paul the Octopus, will he be correct in predicting Spain will win?  In any event, some reincarnation from Delphi or Nostradamus had saved his eight arms from being sautéed in garlic, because he has also predicted a win for Germany over Uruguay today. (He wasn't popular after predicting the outcome of the earlier match between Spain and Germany!)
Let us not forget, Paul has as many legs as four futbal players! And maybe four times the brainpower of one who kicks a ball all over the place!
Henri

Paul Predicts Again - and has a 'rival", Mani the Parakeet

Who can foretell good fortune and misfortune for the same event? Paul, the amazing Octopus in Oberhausen, Germany – that’s who! He predicted so far all the wins and losses of Germany in the World Cup (associated football, which they call “soccer” here in North America).  Let me give you a prediction of my own.  We see worldwide fame for this 8-armed all-knowing fortune teller.   

This will be expressed in Paul the Octopus toys, gadgets such as are usually made in homage of superstars or creatures that touch the imagination of the young and young-at-heart! His 8 arms will cover the globe, like ET or the Dinosaur toys. Hats, t-shirts, plates, you name it.  Not just now but for a long time to come.  And people will flock to his Aquarium in Oberhausen to see first-hand this amazing creature.
Now for Sunday’s final match: first, some weeks ago, I predicted Spain would win this World Cup.  What makes this final game more interesting, for romantics and aficionados alike, is neither Holland nor Spain have ever won the World Cup trophy.  On Sunday, one of these countries will be added to the ‘sanctum sanctorum’.
Now there are two matches to go for Paul to predict. This is the first time he’s predicted a non-German team match. He says Spain will win. See the story here at Huffington Post .  And for Saturday's game, he has just predicted a victory for Germany.  So maybe he won't be turned into a 'grilled with garlic' dish?"
And now there is another Seer, again from the non-human species:  Mani the Psychic Parakeet.  Based in Singapore, 13-year old Mani has predicted Holland will win the trophy.
I go with Paul.  Coming from a Hollander, how is that for a non-biased prediction? Hup Holland Hup!  Ole, Ole Espana!  Henri

More about Paul the amazing Octopus and the World Cup

Canadians aren't really known to be big "soccer" aficionados, but that is changing. Where I grew up, in Flanders and Holland, we call the game Voetbal = Football and that's correct, the game is played 98% by passing the ball with the feet.  In North America the popular game of Football is a misnomer, since 98% of that game is played by hand!
How about Paul the Octopus, what a magician.  He has now a 7/7 perfect record for predicting the outcome of the German matches in the World Cup of FOOTBALL in South Africa.

The match between Germany and Spain yesterday was his seventh correct prediction.  Just google Paul the Octopus and you'll find out all about him if you don't already know. He resides in an aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany (but is originally from England).
Anyhow, after yesterday's match, in Germany there are calls to turn Paul into "Calamari"! And apparently some people sang "Anti-Octopus" songs (whatever that is.) Meanwhile over in Spain they're praising Paul with acolades and songs, "Ole, Ole, Paulo el Pulpo Magico!".
Now we await the Final on Sunday of this popular game, worldwide viewership expected to be around 2 Billion.  How about that for popularity amongst the human family?
As for that final - Holland vs. Spain - neither team has ever won the biggest prize of them all.
Prediction?  I leave that up to Paul "El Pulpo Miraculoso".  Yes, for the first time ever he's doing to make a prediction about a non-German match.  Paul, who brings tears now to some in Germany, and joy to others around the world.
Hasta Luego!  "Hup Holland Hup!"
Henri

New Vimeo Site - come and visit

We have a new Vimeo site featuring two videos of my artwork "Organiverse", thanks to Joe Carr, Past-President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Victoria branch.  They are very short, just a few minutes each.

http://vimeo.com/vanbentum

Organiverse - FETTU 2.0 wrapped up last night

With the second "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) exhibit wrapping up last night following a month-long show at Mayfair, we're posting my note from earlier this year, written at the beginning of the first FETTU exhibit appeared in February.

“To infinity and beyond, in both directions,
The micro and macro cosmos.” Henri van Bentum

In the previous post (Jan 31), we promised to elaborate some more on the contents and philosophy of Organiverse. Organiverse is a series of 100 paintings which I created in 1972, all done dot by dot, in pointillism. Each painting is a sphere or mandala, 8 ½ cm in diameter.

Not long ago the original images were digitally scanned and they are part of the upcoming “From Earth to the Universe” (FETTU) exhibit here in Victoria. FETTU is one of the projects marking the International Year of Astronomy 2009 http://astronomy2009.org.

Why pointillism? For one thing, because there is nothing solid in the Universe. Everything is separated. The planets, stars, even the Sun appear as a “dot” in space.

I coined the word “Organiverse” back in the 1970’s from two words “Organi/c” and “Un/iverse”. In the beginning there was darkness. Darkness became light. And light is colour. Organiverse embraces the evolution of colour, born from the three primaries of Red, Yellow and Blue.

From the un-formed comes form. There are no words or explanations necessary, really. What is needed is time and patience to let it all sink in, by contemplation or meditation.

Each viewer will experience the work differently according to their individual life experience and total sum of awareness. You could say Organiverse embraces the macrocosm within a microscopic frame of reference.

With this work we explore organic processes on the cosmic and microscopic levels, with here and there, a pause - - - linked to the noumena (as opposed to phenomena). But always maintaining its spirit of metamorphosis and evolution.
Now, thirty-seven years after its creation, and thanks to contemporary digital scanning technology, Organiverse is being shared with a wider audience in 21st century fashion on large flat-screens provided courtesy of SONY Style.
It’s not what I originally intended, back in 1972, but as Natasha observed:

“Organiverse will grow on the viewer,
Like friendship and music.
Observe it without distraction,
Quietly in solitude.
You will discover this contemplative Opus
Brings a welcome antidote to our stress-laden times.”
Natasha van Bentum

Here are a couple of others quotes about Organiverse:

“Organiverse is a glimpse into the multilayered beauty of all that is Life. As a physician and healer, I feel that these mandalas offer an immense opportunity for healing, and for a heart-based understanding of who we are physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Peering into each mandala, one witnesses the microcosms and macrocosms of Life, and penetrates to the very depths of that which is Truth. A dance of color, form, and contemplation, Organiverse is a meditation on selflessness.”
Dr.Mark Sherman MDCM, CCFP

“The dots are amazingly clear. Aside from their stunning pristine beauty, there is also a subtle intelligence in the progression. It seems the artist retained each image which he developed day by day --- an amazing visual memory and disciplined craftsmanship." Sonam Gyatso.

"I am extremely pleased with the beauty and depth of the Organiverse Folio. It is a garland of flowers in my daily experience. It is a wormhole entrance into both the depths of of the starry night and the inner life process of the biosphere we inhabit. A tour de force that will reverberate down the annals of human cultural history. A unique and magical work of true and lasting significance. Thank You!" Brian W. Johnson, MSW.

Mandelbrot speaks

Yesterday we devoted our post to Fractals as seen from my point of view as an artist. Today we share a quote sent by a friend, from the pioneer mathematician Benoit B. Mandelbrot in his seminal book “The Fractal Geometry of Nature”:

"Clearly, competing with artists is not at all a purpose of this essay. Nevertheless, one must address this issue. The question is not whether the illustrations are neatly drawn and printed, and the originals being drawn by computer is not essential either, except in terms of economics.

But we do deal with a new form of the controversial but ancient theme that all graphical representations of mathematical concepts are a form of art, one that is best when it is simplest, when (to borrow a painter's term) it can be called "minimal art".

It is widely held that minimal art is restricted to limited combinations of standard shapes: lines, circles, spirals, and the like. But such need not be the case.
The fractal used in scientific models are also very simple (because science puts a premium on simplicity). And I agree that many may be viewed as a new form of minimal geometric art.  The fractal "new geometric art" shows surprising kinship to Grand Masters paintings or Beaux Arts Architecture.

An obvious reason is that classical visual arts, like fractals, involve very many scales of length and favor self-similarity. For all these reasons, and also because it came in through an effort to imitate Nature in order to guess its laws, it may well be that fractal art is readily accepted because it is not truly unfamiliar. . ." (Benoit Mandelbrot)

Computer Art Born from Nature

A friend who is very interested in Fractals and creates them wondered about similarity between fractal imagery and abstract art, which gave me the idea to write this post which topic might be of interest.

Mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot was the fractal pioneer, created with "Intelligent Electricity" (my term for computers or anything electronic). Back in the late 1960’s, I was offered by a professor of computer science at University of Toronto to have carte blanche, as an artist, with their computer equipment, to experiment with new forms of expression, but declined.

This new art of fractals is now taking its place amongst 21st Century artforms.

When seeing these images in 1999 aboard “Ocean Explorer I” on the world cruise (shown by a passenger from New York who had a disc of them), I was spellbound.
He was a student in our creative exploration art class in the ‘floating studio’ and we’d given an assignment to do abstractions with the primary and secondary colours.

After this he invited us to his cabin where he had his computer. I had heard earlier about Fractals, and seen still photographs, but this fellow showed the images moving and he could also stop them as “paintings”.  I immediately realized we were dealing here with a new art form, albeit one only possible to create with electricity input or batteries. (Intelligent Electricity)

During the 1960’s in times of Psychedelic art and Flower people, some beings were doing fine drawings, spirals, wheels within wheels, which may give the impression of a similar spiritual-climate as Fractals.  Then there are the intricate early drawings by Escher, which I’d seen originals as a boy in Holland. Although he belongs more to Optical Illusion style and category - - while Fractals are a reality in Nature.

Mandelbrot tried to find a way of expression that followed Natural laws. One only needs to look at ferns, broccoli, kale, trees (with or without leaves), clouds, bronchia (lungs), and coastlines as seen from space. That he succeeded in finding the ever-never land imagery from such a ‘simple’ formula now has its own language.

On the one hand there are strong similarities with abstract art, while on the other, you recognize ancient symbols already interpreted by the Tibetan monks and thangkha artists, (especially their depictions of clouds). But of course those were and are still done by hand.

It is not that Fractals are a continuum or have that potential within the design, but each frame could be an image by itself, such as we can see for example with Fractal calendars. Visually then, to look at them without movement they give the impression of modern art.

The greatest art is knowing When and Where to stop, not add. Such simplicity gives it strength. Fractals could be called a never-ending variation on the same theme, like the music of J.S. Bach.

Computer art it certainly is, and an art form that is unique and which stands entirely in its own realm. Signing off, Henri