September 20, 2008
The Introduction. Steve Jobs at Macworld *SOLD*
"The Introduction. Steve Jobs at Macworld. 12"x 12" x 1.5" original oil painting by Nitrozac.
This painting was sold, congrats to the winner! Click here to view the auction!
I am pleased to introduce to you today my latest painting. It depicts Steve Jobs, at the moment the MacBook Air was unveiled at Macworld. He is on stage in front of an adoring crowd, while behind him a huge monitor projects his image to those in the back of the room, and those watching around the world. In the foreground, two audience members are recording the moment with their digital cameras. That will be their proof that they were there, that they were one of the privileged to witness this introduction.
Being in the audience at a Steve Jobs keynotes is an electrifying experience. The room is filled with an energy unlike any situation in the world. It can be crazy! There is hushed anticipation, squeals of delight, laughter, and everyone is always mesmerized by Steve Jobs presentation. People are blogging, twittering, texting, filming, sitting with mouths agape, clapping in geek glee... it's a cultural phenomenon.
For me this painting is a timeless study of that moment and of the remarkable Steve Jobs. It's more than just the unveiling of a product. It's captures the man's amazing ability to inspire desire in us, and his intense pride over his new creation. It's as if he is showing off his new child to the world, and he is beaming with the pride and love that only a new parent has. He invites us to share his pride and love by owning the new object. It's powerful, and infectious, and if you have ever held a product like this in your hands, a Macbook Air or an iPhone, you feel these emotions, a result of Apple's exceptional engineering and artistry.
There is a wonderful duality happening in the painting, with Steve's image on the large viewscreen, and his real life figure standing on the stage. I like how the viewscreen image seems more real, has more detail, and seems so lifelike, while the lone figure on the stage is more of a sketch. For most us, our heroes are like this, they are larger-than-life figures on our televisions and computer screens that we feel we know so well. In actuality, the real person, the one behind the public persona, remains private.
But there is still another reflection in the painting; the lights of the personal recorders. They are more glow than detail, more memory than digital copy. This is where your experience lives, where your memories of that moment reside. It is reminder that in an age of wide screens, high-definitions, and perfect angles, we still find the need to capture and share our own unique perspective.
I know you will love this painting as much as I do. In the future, you will look at this work and think back to these times, and remember them as remarkable and cherished moments in tech history.
Details: "The Introduction. Steve Jobs at Macworld." is Nitrozac's 39th painting of her Painting Blog. It's an original oil painting, on 12 x 12 inch stretched canvas. The painting is 1.5 inches thick, with painted sides, so you can frame it if you wish, or display it as is. The painting will be dry and ready to ship a few weeks after the auction ends, depending on the drying conditions and such. The back of the painting will contain the title, the date painted, Nitrozac's signature, and a fingerprint for authenticity.
Please note that the photographs capture parts of the painting that are still wet. This is especially noticeable on the right hand side of the painting, in the black paint, but this will disappear as the oil paint dries. The painting should be able to ship in about three weeks. Rest assured, I will not ship an oil painting that hasn't fully dried!
If the painting isn't sold at auction, it will be up for sale in our webstore at a higher than originally listed price, so it does pays to bid on the auction! Best of luck to all bidders, I know you will love this painting as much as I do.
Shipping for each painting is extra... to the US and Canada it is 15 dollars, to other locations, 25 dollars. If the buyer is located in Canada, I will have to charge the appropriate Canadian taxes.
This painting was sold, congrats to the winner! Click here to view the auction!
Posted by Nitrozac at 10:51 AM
May 19, 2008
HAL 9000, an oil painting portrait. *SOLD*
Wow, what an auction! Thanks to pv for picking up this painting!
Click here to View the Auction.
Earlier this year marked the passing of one of our heroes, science-fiction writer and visionary Arthur C. Clarke. Looking over our work at The Joy of Tech and AfterY2K, you will find many references in our comics to his books and ideas. One of his most famous and beloved characters is the HAL 9000 computer from his Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence, the sentient on-board computer of the spaceship Discovery. In the movie 2001: A Space Oydessy, HAL is depicted as an omnipotent presence, with an all-seeing red lens, but with soft voice and a pleasant manner, even when trying to kill his astronaut crew. The effect is chilling, humourous, and unforgettable.
(Snaggy and I created a tribute comic to Arthur C. Clarke, which featured HAL, you can find that here, and of course you can read more about HAL over on WikiPedia.)
I really like this painting. What should be a rather cold and lifeless image, of metal and glass, is actually a very warm one. I get the strange feeling there is someone, or some presence, behind that red glow, watching everthing that is going on in the room. And of course it reminds me of the brilliant imagination of Arthur C. Clarke, and that makes me smile.
I think you will love having your own HAL 9000 in your home or office, or spaceship, to keep an eye on you. Perhaps one day it will say "Good morning Dave." :-)
Details: "HAL 9000" is Nitrozac's 38th painting of her Painting Blog. It's an oil painting, on 11 x 14 inch stretched canvas. Because it is oil paint, it may take weeks before it is completely dry and ready to ship, so please be patient. The back of the painting will contain the title, the date painted, Nitrozac's signature, and a fingerprint for authenticity.
Shipping for each painting is extra... to the US and Canada it is 25 dollars, to other locations, 35 dollars. Please Note: Canadians will be charged any appropriate taxes (GST) and PST if the bidder is from British Columbia, in addition to the sale price.
Thanks again to all the bidders!
Click here to view the Auction.
Posted by Nitrozac at 05:45 PM
