R.I.P. Ikuo Hirayama

I'm quite late on this, and for that I owe my apologies, but I still wanted to pay respect to Japanese Ikuo Hirayama. One of the illest painters to ever pick up a brush, and the landscapes this man drew were awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping. Below is an small sampling of his work (all that I was able to find from Google Images anyway):

There's more, click here.

R.I.P. Tamas Lossonczy

2009 is rough for a creative mind. Although Tamas Lossonczy was 105 years young, he had the prowess of a great abstract head. I may be wrong, but Lossonczy didn't release very much material throughout his career. Regardless, the art he did release is worth a glance:

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R.I.P. Roy DeCarava

Another one hits the dust, this year has been ungrateful to some of our most creative minds. Roy DeCarava, one of the best in the world behind a lens, died a few days ago. As well as appreciating the man's superior photographic skills, there's also the mutual admiration for jazz, as DeCarava's best work often comes in the form of capturing great moments in jazz.
Below are a few of his better works (in my opinion anyways):




You can find a large amount of his work here.

There's more, click here.

R.I.P. Charles Mills

Charles Mills, a prominent 'African-American' visual artist died a few days ago. Although his subject matter was laden with African American's, Mills portrayed the urban culture in an inexplicably descriptive manner. Below I added what I believe to be some of his best work:

There's more, click here.

R.I.P. Fred Cress

Another one bites the dust. Fred Cress was an imaginative artist that was remarkably unsung in his field. It's a sad day to lose another creative mind. R.I.P. to Fred Cress, and below are a few of his works:

There's more, click here.

R.I.P. Cintio Vitier

In the days when Cuba suffered from actual political turmoil, Cintio Vitier was one of the leading voices of the Cuban people. He wrote with a soulful tongue that was never malicious or blaming but rather truthful and indignantly honest. RIP Vitier.

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R.I.P. Willy Ronis

The news of Willy Ronis shook me up a little bit, moreso than the shock of Michael Jackon's death. In true photography circles, Willy was very well respected, mainly for his integration of French culture and subtly abstract subject matters into his art. Genuinely look at the man's body of work, and try not to get the shivers running through your heart.
My favorite picture of his:

There's more, click here.

R.I.P. Ted Kennedy

I'm remarkably late on this one, but I just found out that Ted Kennedy (not the senator) died on the 14th. After spending 5 years of my childhood in Toronto, I can appreciate the importance of this man. He was an icon for the Leafs, he won 5 Stanley Cups, made the Hall Of Fame, and all sorts of numerous other accolades. May he rest in peace.

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R.I.P. Rashied Ali

I still haven't become fully engrossed in the world of free jazz and avant-garde jazz, but I still mourn the loss of a pioneer. His work with John Coltrane was incredulous, and he will surely be missed. R.I.P. Mr. Ali.

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R.I.P. Budd Schulberg

This makes What Makes Sammy Run and The Harder They Fall that much more classic.
Aside from a legendary author, RIP to one of the best sports writers ever.

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R.I.P. Steve McNair

When Michael Jackson died, I didn't really care. When Farrah Fawcett died, I felt like it would be weird to still have this hanging on my wall (she's an old school beauty yo! But when Air McNair got cut down, not due to cancer or an overdose, but a shooting, my head dropped for a few seconds.
Steve McNair was quite possibly one of the illest quarterbacks ever. Although he never had a good Titans team behind him, dude always came correct in every manner. And plus he was one of few QB's who could actually run the ball.
As a life-long Titan fan, this is a sad day. Even sadder than the day when Steve went to Baltimore to play out the rest of his career, but as his retirement shows, that was all but an abberation.
RIP Steve McNair.

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