Artist Mark Maggiori comes up big

Back on August 30th I had posted that French artist Mark Maggiori was going to auction off some of his artwork at a special show in Jackson Hole WY. 

I had mentioned that if you wanted to buy one of his original paintings bring some cash, and lots of it. He had sold a couple of paintings the year before at an auction in Austin TX and sold one for $350,000 and the other one for $300,000.

Well, whoever got those paintings in Austin came out like a bandit because at this recent auction one painting was sold for $1,300,000. 

That's right, over a million dollars! 

On Instagram someone had said that that set a new record for a living artist. 

And all the other painting that were auctioned off went for incredibly high amounts. Maybe I should have learned how to paint. 

Another dream shattered. Well, when I was a teenager I dreamed of going to Spain and being a bullfighter and that didn't come close to happening and now here I sit. 

I'm happy for him though, he deserves his success.

Here are more examples of his artwork.

El Traje de Luces

 

The Man From Snowy River

 
Released in 1982, The Man from Snowy River remains one of Australia’s most beloved films.

Inspired by Banjo Paterson’s famous 1890 poem, the movie blends adventure, romance, breathtaking scenery and unforgettable horsemanship into a story that still resonates more than four decades later.

The film follows Jim Craig, played by Tom Burlinson, a young mountain horseman determined to prove himself after the death of his father. He finds work with wealthy cattleman Harrison, played by Kirk Douglas, and soon develops feelings for Harrison’s strong-willed daughter Jessica, played by Sigrid Thornton. 

But the moment that truly defines the film is Jim’s legendary ride down a dangerously steep mountainside while chasing a mob of wild horses. As the other riders stop at the top, Jim charges forward. The spectacular sequence captures the courage and determination at the heart of Paterson’s original poem and has become one of the most memorable scenes in Australian cinema.

The scenery is equally unforgettable. Much of the movie was filmed in Victoria’s magnificent High Country, where sweeping valleys and rugged mountains give the story an epic atmosphere. Combined with Bruce Rowland’s soaring musical score, the landscape almost becomes a character itself.

The film was a major box-office success and helped bring Australian cinema to international audiences. 

Ultimately, The Man from Snowy River endures because it offers something timeless: courage, romance, magnificent horses and the determination to follow your own path—even when everyone else is afraid to follow.

That bull would make a great tattoo

 

Plaza de toros en Segura de la Sierra (Jaén)

 

La historia

El conocimiento de la historia es clave para la previsión de las corrientes de poder del mañana, porque el pasado, como sustancia real del presente modela el devenir.

Seria inútil intentar comprender el presente sin entender el pasado.

Cabe aquí una pregunta: ¿Qué pasaría si a un pueblo se le tergiversa o se le falsifica su pasado?

Qué le sucedería a un pueblo si sus niños y sus jóvenes estudian una historia, la de su propio pueblo, intencionalmente falsificada?

La respuesta es simple: ese pueblo perdería su "ser" y su "ser nacional", aquello que le hace ser lo que es quedaría vacío de contenido como un cuerpo sin alma.

-Marcelo Gullo Omodeo

Madre Patria, Editorial Espasa (2021)

Obra - Partiendo Plaza de Pancho Flores

We have to talk about Mexico

Well, as if you don't already know the world of the bulls is constantly under attack. This past month, (see article below) the Senate in Mexico voted on and approved a new animal welfare law. 

The short of it, from what I understand, is that each state will now decide on how they will regulate any sport or entertainment activity that involves animals. This doesn't just affect the bullfight, it also affects rodeos, horse racing, cock fights, and las charreadas, and perhaps other activities. 

Basically the bullfight could be completely banned in Mexico if each state decides to do so. 

However, some states have already come out and said they will still support the bullfight. They realize that it is an important part of their economy and culture. 

As we know though the bullfight is pretty much gone in Mexico City, the biggest plaza de toros in the world has been silent for some time now and will not be coming back. What a tragic loss for the world of the bulls, but it is reality and we have to deal with it. And there could be a silver lining, lord knows we as bullfight fans are always looking for silver linings, and that is that the bullfight could become more protected in other areas.

And this is where I have to admit that I have been delinquent, I have not done a good job in learning about and keeping up with bullfights in Mexico. So it looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me, I'm going to need to become much more familiar with where the bullfights are held in Mexico, what state they are located in, and what is their future. 

With regards to Spain, luckily the bullfight, for now, is protected. 

Per Google, "Bullfighting in Spain is protected and recognized as part of the country's cultural heritage under Law 18/2013 (passed in November 2013), which officially declared bullfighting an intangible cultural asset (patrimonio cultural) and requires the state to safeguard and promote it."

Now, there have been rumors lately that the Left has been trying to make backroom deals with some in the middle to vote to overturn the protected status of the bullfight in favor of having Spain do what Mexico has just done. 

I don't know how this is all going to play out, but it is something we are going to have to monitor closely. 

If you have a lucky rabbit's foot now would be the time to start rubbing it.