mjb and mj...ch3. blue, blue, blue umbrella

in

Clarification Note: All images in the post were crafted by Midjourney AI that followed my prompts.

[ Ch.1 ] [ Ch.2 ]

A lady with a blue umbrella and a dog

Mysterious and dreamlike cityscapes, shades of blue

Mysterious and dreamlike cityscapes, shades of blue

Mysterious and dreamlike modern cityscapes, 1930 blueprint

Mysterious and dreamlike modern cityscapes, shades of blue, medieval style painting

Mysterious and dreamlike cityscapes, shades of blue, medieval painting

mjb and mj...ch2. superior being

in

Clarification Note: All images in the post were crafted by Midjourney AI that followed my prompts.

[ Ch.1 ]

[ Russian version ]

During the COVID pandemic, I found myself confined to my home studio. Determined to make the most of the situation, I embarked on a creative endeavor that resulted in a series of photographs featuring Venice carnival Jester masks. The traditional Jester mask (the Joker mask depicts a male character, the Jolly - being the female equivalent) portrays a court Jester of the Middle Ages wearing a hat known as the fool's hat. It has three points or "punte" with the bells on the end that represent the tail and ears of a donkey. Another type of the Jester mask has multiple points spread evenly all around its face. As I delved deeper into the history of these masks, I stumbled upon images of the Etruscan artifacts, which looked in some way reminiscent of the Venetian Jester masks.

Etruscan goddess Uni, clay antefix, from the city of Satricum, in Latium, dating to the V century B.C., now in the Altes Museum (Staatliche Museen), Berlin, Germany.

This similarity led me to hypothesize that the history of Joker masks extends beyond the medieval period and possibly indicates a connection to ancient cargo cults. These cults emerged when members of primitive communities encountered representatives of more technologically advanced civilizations and imitated their practices, rituals, and symbols in the hope of achieving the same level of development. To verify this hypothesis, I conducted an online search for images of artifacts from ancient civilizations resembling Joker masks. My goal was to discover similarities between these masks and their potential ancient prototypes in order to uncover the evolution and sources of the captured images within the masks, whose meaning and significance have likely been long forgotten. I embarked on this search with a sober understanding that attempting to trace the evolution of these ancient images would likely be unsuccessful.

To my astonishment, I came across enough artifacts suggesting that Joker masks could be remnants of a series of cargo cults originating from mysterious ancient times. The first part of the blog post was published in February 2022.

Inspired by these findings, I eagerly began writing the second part of the post. I prepared a series of artifact images illustrating the evolution of mask prototypes and started working on the layout in February. However, a tragic global event occurred - on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. This brought the world to the brink of catastrophe and dampened my enthusiasm to complete the second part of the post.

Now, after nearly 500 days, I feel ready to return to this project. During the forced hiatus, there has been a revolutionary leap in image processing technologies - the emergence of accessible artificial intelligence systems that have opened up new possibilities for preparing illustrations for the post. Therefore, I have decided to rework the material of the post and include images generated using the AI generative program Midjourney.

I will publish the second part of this blog post as soon as it is complete. In the meantime, I believe the image I have created holds independent value within the context of my new ‘mjb and mj’ series. Here is a sneak peek of one of the images generated by AI, offering a glimpse into the upcoming second part of my blog post:

Superior Being

Stay tuned as we embark on a captivating exploration of the ancient origins of Jester masks, uncovering a tapestry of history, culture, and artistic expression spanning millennia.

mjb and mj...ch2. superior being (rus)

in

[ English version ]

mjb and mj...ch2. высшее существо

Во время пандемии COVID я вынужден был проводить большую часть времени в своей домашней студии. Воспользовавшись этой ситуацией, я создал серию фотографий с масками шутов Венецианского карнавала. Традиционная маска шута (маска Джокера - мужской персонаж, Джолли - женский эквивалент) изображает дворцовогоо шута эпохи Средневековья в шляпе, известной как ‘шляпа глупца’. У шляпы имеются три конца или "пунте" с колокольчиками, которые как считается представляют хвост и уши осла. Еще один тип маски шута имеет несколько кончиков, равномерно расположенных по всему лицу. Разбираясь в истории этих масок, я наткнулся на изображения этрусских артефактов, которые во многом напоминали венецианские маски Джокера.

Этрусская богиня Юни, глиняный антефикс из города Сатрикум в Лации, датируемый V веком до нашей эры, сейчас находится в Альтес-музее (Штатлихе Музеен), Берлин, Германия.

Это сходство привело меня к гипотезе о том, что история масок Джокера выходит за рамки средневекового периода и возможно указывает на связь с древними карго культами, которые возникали, когда члены первобытных сообществ встречались с представителями более технологически развитых цивилизаций и имитировали их практики, ритуалы и символы в надежде достичь этим такого же уровня развития. Для верификации этой гипотезы я произвёл онлайн поиск изображений артефактов древних цивилизаций сходных с масками Джокера. Моя цель заключалась в обнаружении сходств между этими масками и их потенциальными древними прототипами в надежде раскрыть эволюцию и источники запечатлённых в масках образов, смысл и значение, которых вероятно были давно забыты. Я начинал этот поиск с трезвым пониманием, что попытка проследить эволюцию этих древних образов скорее всего не будет успешной.

К моему изумлению, мне встретилось достаточно артефактов, указывающих на то, что маски Джокеров могут быть останками серии карго культов, пришедших из загадочных древних времен. Первая часть блог-поста была опубликована в феврале 2022 года.

Вдохновленный этими находками, я с энтузиазмом приступил к написанию второй части поста. Я подготовил серию изображений артефактов, иллюстрирующих эволюцию прототипов масок и в феврале начал работать над оформлением второй части. Однако, произошло трагическое глобальное событие - 24 февраля 2022 года России вторглась в Украину. Это привело мир на грань катастрофы и охладило мой энтузиазм завершить вторую часть поста.

Теперь, спустя почти 500 дней, я чувствую себя готовым вернуться к этому проекту. За время вынужденного перерыва призошёл революционный скачёк в технологиях обработки изображений - появление доступных систем искусственного интеллекта, которое открыло новые возможности в подготовке иллюстраций к посту. Поэтому я решил переработать материал поста и включить в него изображения, подготовленные с помощью генеративной программы ИИ Midjourney.

Я опубликую вторую часть, как только она будет готова. В то же время я мне кажется, что созданные ИИ изображение имеют самостоятельную ценность в контексте моей новой серии ‘mjb and mj’. Вот одно из таких изображений, которое войдёт во вторую часть блог-поста:

Высшее существо

Следите за обновлениями, мы скоро отправимся на поиск прототипов венецианских масок Джокера в увлекательном путешествии в переплетение истории, культуры и художественного творчества на протяжении многих тысячелетий

mjb and mj...ch1. i think this is the beginning of the beautiful friendship

in

Clarification Note: The text of this post was crafted completely by ChatGPT AI with a touch of my own. All images in the post were crafted by Midjourney AI that followed my prompts.



Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines

Midjourney (Mj) is a generative AI program and service

ChatGPT is a large language model AI chatbot

MJB - Mark Joseph Berman, yours truly

NB - Naomi, Coton de Tulear



MB, NB, ang Mj on the beach - a triad of highly intelligent individuals complementing each other's abilities in the pursuit of happiness

Over the past months, I've dived headfirst into the realm of text-to-image AI. I've embarked on an adventure prompting Midjourney to generate numerous images, and let me tell you, the results left me utterly stunned. It sparked a series of thought-provoking questions that ignited my curiosity:

To what extent are human-AI look-alikes?

As I gazed at the AI-generated images, I couldn't help but wonder how closely they resembled their human counterparts. It's remarkable to witness the AI's ability to capture elements of human likeness, blurring the boundaries between human and machine.

The role of the human in this process - is the human a creator?

Amidst this creative journey, I found myself pondering the role of humans in the text-to-image AI interaction. Are we mere prompters, or can we consider ourselves co-creators? It's a fascinating dynamic, where humans provide the initial spark of inspiration by providing the input—descriptive text or prompts that guide the AI's artistic prowess. It's like giving the AI a virtual canvas and saying, "Create something amazing!" But hey, we're not just co-creators; we're also the eager users who witness the magic unfold.

Are the resulting images an art?

The question of whether AI-generated images can be considered true art sparks lively debates. Some argue that true art requires emotional depth and the human touch, while others appreciate the unique charm that arises from the fusion of human creativity and AI algorithms. It's an exciting blend of imagination and computational brilliance, expanding the boundaries of what we define as art.

What similarities exist between human-AI look-alikes and human-other-living-being look-alikes, such as dog look-alikes?

Intriguingly, the parallels between human-AI look-alikes and human-dog look-alikes caught my attention. It's amusing to observe how both combinations exhibit resemblances that bring a smile to our faces. It's a testament to the creative interplay between humans, AI, and the natural world.

To add a touch of humor and entertainment, I've included some delightful dog-owner look-alike images in this post. These images were prompted and tweaked by yours truly, serving as a testament to the collaborative process between humans and AI.

As I reflect on this exhilarating journey, I can't help but feel a surge of excitement for what lies ahead. The realm of text-to-image AI is brimming with endless possibilities, and I eagerly anticipate the unexpected discoveries and remarkable creations that await us on this road.

So, my friends, join me as we venture further into the realm of AI-generated images. Let's celebrate the fusion of human ingenuity and AI's computational brilliance, uncovering the breathtaking artistry that emerges from this captivating collaboration. Together, we'll continue to explore and embrace the boundless horizons of AI's creative power.

It's going to be a wild ride, and I'm excited to share it with you in the upcoming chapters. May the Intelligence be with you.

hanukkah coincidence...

in

I took this image in 2007 during Hanukkah celebration on the Akumal beach

On the first day of Hanukkah 2022 I came across these magic lines of poetry written by Gorodnitsky in the same 2007

Планет небесная механика
Над далью моря голубой,
Когда горит свеча на Хануку,
О чем мы думаем с тобой?

[Planets celestial mechanics / Over the distance of the blue sea, / When the Hanukkah candles burn / What are you and I thinking about?]

Such a beautiful coincidence

fridge vs TV...

in

In the last two years I passionately divided my spare time between two hobbies - Fine Art Photography and Bread Baking. Whenever a new fine art image was completed, I shared it with my Facebook friends and followers. It was only natural that I also made a Food Photography style image of any new type of bread I baked and shared them in my Facebook as well. Sometimes I also shared my images of pastry masterpieces baked by my wife.

Recently I posted within a week timeframe my latest fine art image

and an image of Lucy's latest masterpiece

The response to them (Likes/Comments) really surprised and intrigued me - the fine art one got 3/0 responses and the cake image got 25/7 responses, i.e. the cake got 8-1 win over the art. It looked like a perfect illustration of a far-famed Russian saying - 'In a battle between a television and a refrigerator, the fridge will always beat out the TV'.  I guess this view is kind of specific to Russian mentality. I have not seen a matching saying in English, the closest one is, probably, the famous ‘It’s the economy stupid’.

My first emotional explanation of this skewed outcome was that maybe because the majority of my online audience has the Russian origin and experienced periods of food shortages in their past, it made them more gastronomically inclined in their image preferences.

However, my scientific background did not allow me to accept such sad truth easily. What if this outcome was just a random deviation? Luckily, I posted enough images of both categories to make a proper statistical analysis rather than to accepting this outcome as the final truth. There were 16 bread/pastry images and 9 fine art ones in total posted from May 2020 to August 2022.

The mean values of number of responses were 15 and 13 respectively. The statistical comparison of the means of two groups showed that the difference between means of Bread and Fine Art groups is not statistically significant. In plain English, it means that my audience has not expressed preference for one group over another.

Phew, I feel much better now!

For those interested in the details of the analysis - they are given below


peaceable kingdom

in

Quaker Minister and America’s foremost primitive painter, Edward Hicks, resided and was buried just a mile away from my Newtown residence. He is best known for his ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ pictures, of which sixty-two exist, and he might had painted over a hundred of them. Hick’s house is still there and there is a ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ playground located a couple of blocks from it.

The ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ paintings depict a prophecy in the Book of Isaiah (11:6):

6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
…
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain

Peaceable Kingdom playground, Newtown, PA

The prophecy is commonly perceived as a description of a state of harmony among all creatures, a state of peace as opposed to war. However, it is hard to believe that Hicks spent so much time on a series that spanned half of his life, from 1816 to 1847, to convey such a simple message.

The prophecy could be perceived on a deeper existential level as a description of a place where there is no death and no time - a blessed land where nothing changes, the feature frequently associated with an afterlife. Hicks being a Minister most probably perceived it as such and presented his reflections in the ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ series.

Many great intellectuals contemplated over the centuries the mystery of life, death, and possibility of the afterlife. Although they did not come any closer to resolving the mystery, at least they tried and left after magnificent descriptions of their views. Among them, in my humble opinion, is one of the most profound poetic works of the XX century - ‘The Great Elegy for John Donne’ by Joseph Brodsky. Here is the description of the ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ from this elegy:

The radiance of that Country does not fade.

From thence all here seems a faint, fevered dream.

From thence our Lord is but a light that gleams,

through fog, in window of the farthest house.

The fields lie fallow, furrowed by no plow.

The years lie fallow, and the centuries.

Forests alone stand, like a steady wall.

Enormous rains batter the dripping grass.

...All things are distant. What is near is dim.

The level glance slides from a roof remote.

All here is bright. No din of baying hound

or tolling bell disturbs the silent air.

Joseph Brodsky - The Great Elegy for John Donne

И климат там недвижен, в той стране.

Откуда всё, как сон больной в истоме.

Господь оттуда -- только свет в окне

туманной ночью в самом дальнем доме.

Поля бывают. Их не пашет плуг.

Года не пашет. И века не пашет.

Одни леса стоят стеной вокруг,

а только дождь в траве огромной пляшет.

...Всё, всё вдали. А здесь неясный край.

Спокойный взгляд скользит по дальним крышам.

Здесь так светло. Не слышен псиный лай.

И колокольный звон совсем не слышен.

Иосиф Бродский - Большая элегия Джону Донну

And here is an image from my ‘Venetian Masks’ series inspired by the elegy. One with sharp vision could even discern ‘windows of the farthest house’ in the upper right corner.

Peaceable Kingdom

venice carnival jester masks... 2. in search of their origin

in
 

In memory of Andrey Yuryevich Sklyarov (1961 - 2016)

 

Andrei Sklyarov was a founder and ideological leader of the Laboratory of Alternative History, author of dozens of books and films that changed the views of thousands of people on the ancient history, architecture, archeology, and paleogeography.

 

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venice carnival jester masks...1. mask-induced obsession

in

Over a year ago I developed an obsession with masks. It was not the common nowadays obsession with protective masks but a fancy obsession with the Venice Carnival masks. And it was not just with any kind of the Venetian masks but rather with one particular type - the Jester masks. I felt a strong urge to implement the Jester mask images in my photography and could not resist this idee fixe. So I started to create still life images where a Jester mask played a role of the centerpiece. So far I completed seven such natura mortes and still do not feel completely cured. It was a pretty elaborate project - each image took around two-three weeks from start to finish.

A short introduction for those who have never heard of the Venice Carnival - the etymology of Carnival is from Medieval Latin 'carne vale' that literally translated means 'meat, farewell'. Carnevale is celebrated in the pre-Lent period before Catholics spend forty days in deep reflection and give up luxuries such as meat. During the celebrations merrymakers are free to eat, drink, and dance without reproof.

According to legend, one of the most famous carnivals around the world, the Carnival of Venice, started in the 12th century. The Venetian Republic defeated the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico di Treven, he was taken prisoner and later released in 1162. The sharp-witted Venetians in exchange for his release requested payment of an annual tribute of a bull, twelve pigs and 300 loaves of bread to be delivered in the last days before Lent. In the honour of this victory, the people started to dance and gather in San Marco Square where the animals would be slaughtered in a public ceremony on 'Fat Thursday'.

The Republic of Venice only allowed nobles to participate in government and public life. Carnival of Venice relaxed the rules and allowed people of different classes to mingle together, which was not allowed at other times during the year. This tradition can be traced at least to the traditions of ancient Roman festivities such as Saturnalia. Venetian masks have always been a unique and important feature of the Venetian carnival. They made it possible for people of different classes to mingle together, which was not allowed at other times during the year.

Venetian masks may be generally classified under three major groups: Commedia Dell’Arte masks, traditional Venetian masks, and fantasy masks. Almost all of them are fancy faceless masks or depict funny recognizable characters, except for, maybe the Jester masks. The traditional Jester mask (the Joker mask depicts a male character, the Jolly - being the female equivalent) portrays a court Jester of the Middle Ages wearing a hat known as the fool's hat. It has three points or "punte" with the bells on the end that represent the tail and ears of a donkey. Another type of the Jester mask has multiple points spread evenly all around its face. In my opinion, this mysterious mask is in a class of its own, there is even confusion as to what mask group it belongs to. More about it in Part 2, below are still life images with Jester masks I created so far.

Venetian Mask and Shells

White Mask

Jolly Mask and Birds

White Mask, Bust, and Lemons

Farewell to MMXX (2020)

White Mask and Watches

Eight Birds and Mask

Gallery 14 Juried Photography Exhibition 2022

tyler park...hanukkah eve

in

A peaceful windless Hanukkah Eve at the Tyler Park

It’s the perfect condition for practicing the art of stone skipping and skimming

Geese flocks are heading to the Lake Luxemburg for a good night sleep

A lonely paraglider is exploiting this golden opportunity

to fly with feathered companions

before landing in his back yard to get home in time for Hanukkah celebration

jersey shore...first visit this year

in

It so happened that this year I and our four-legged family member, Naomi, were able to visit the Shore the first time only in mid-October. We missed it dearly to say the least.

 

Naomi enjoys the sun and the ocean breeze

 

Regulars enjoy the sun and the ocean breeze

 

I, behind the scenes, enjoyed the sun, the breeze, and taking these photos.

 

last days of summer

in

For a long time I was not in a mood to post something in this season of the covid-instigated turmoil. Just a year ago it was the consensus that we really were living in the most peaceful time in human history. What an irony!

A scene I drove by today reminded me of the peaceful summer life and made me wonder ‘Isn’t it the last one?’.

I would prefer, however, to stay positive. As Golda Meir once coined: ‘Pessimism is a luxury that a Jew can never allow himself’.