Category Archives: Art

Fat-Headed Censors

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

You would have to have been living under a basket to avoid the recent brouhaha over the re-editing of classic books by so-called sensitivity readers and editors. Here in the Colonies we’ve been through this with the books of Dr. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

The art of travel

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I recently discovered the marvelous travel poster art created by Polish artist Stefan Norblin (1892-1952). Trained as a painter, Norblin had a diverse career as a portrait painter, muralist, costume designer, illustrator, and interior decorator. When the Germans invaded in … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Europe, Public Transport, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Still Life

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The mesmerizing video below was made with more than 1400 engravings from the 19th century, Still Life is a meditation on subject/object dualism. The film explores the idea that we live in a world of objects and a world of … Continue reading →

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Egyptian Book of the Dead

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Earlier this year, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of a 52-foot-long papyrus scroll of the Book of the Dead discovered in the necropolis of Saqqara. This is the first complete ancient papyrus found in Egypt in … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Art, Books, History, Middle East, Museums | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Slightly bigger than my home library

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I have been waiting for my personal invitation to visit the extraordinary Walker Library of the Human Imagination in Ridgefield, Connecticut, but alas it does not seem to be forthcoming. However, I have discovered that it’s possible to take a virtual … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, History, Libraries, Maps, USA | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Ukraine and Banksy share a message

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I’m a big fan of the elusive British street artist known as Banksy. His ability to provide artistic social commentary with humor and incisiveness is unrivaled. Now the Ukrainian postal service has released a stamp featuring artwork by Banksy to mark … Continue reading →

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Almost as good as being there

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The modern poster dates back to the late 19th century when the printing industry perfected color lithography. This advance in printing allowed the whole new art form of color posters to flourish. Advertising agencies were quick to exploit the new … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Europe, Public Transport, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Miscellany Monday

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I usually lament the loss of dozens of New York City bookstores of my youth, but there some great shops still standing and, in recent years, a renaissance in bookselling has resulted in an optomistic turn for bibliophiles. Check out … Continue reading →

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Stoicism is all the rage

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Permanent Link to this Comic: https://existentialcomics.com/comic/484 Support the comic on Patreon!    

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The Poetry of Coffee

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

As an amateur coffee roaster, I have been accused of being mildly obsessed with the magical elixir. So my antenna is always up for books about coffee. But I was not prepared to stumble upon a one-of-a-kind, single copy poetry … Continue reading →

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