Amy Poehler Answers Tumblr’s Questions
You may recall that we solicited your questions for Amy Poehler, to be asked during a recent talk at the 92nd Street Y. We received almost 600 questions via comments, reblogs, asks, and emails. As you can imagine, Amy couldn’t answer them all — so we put together a dozen of the best, and they only had time to ask four, and here we have the best three questions of those. The successful Tumblr question-askers were kevinsweeney, talkdirtytotheanimals, and terminusundefined. Enjoy, and thanks for playing!
Pusheen the Cat Tells All
Like most members of the feline family, Pusheen the Cat enjoys sitting on warm computers, long petting sessions, and many other quintessential feline activities. But she’s not your typical tabby. Adopted from a shelter in her youth (hence the name, based upon the Irish word for kitten, puisín), Pusheen has since grown into one of Tumblr’s furry sensations.
Her human-like snacking abilities, love of dress-up, and abnormally adorable on-screen bop have garnered hundreds of thousands of fans. She already has a line of merchandiseand just signed a book deal. And yet, despite all this fame, Pusheen remains her modest, friendly, yarn-loving self. How does she stay so grounded, amidst all the adulation? Pusheen answers, in typical fashion.
Gharyan, Libya | July 23, 2012
Illegal migrants from Nigeria, held at a Libyan detention center, wait to be processed and receive travel papers, enabling them to be repatriated via a UN chartered plane. Libyan authorities have been increasingly hostile to African migrants and the threat of deportation includes transportation via a truck through the blisteringly hot Sahara desert. (Photo by Benjamin Lowy/Getty Reportage)
Conflict photographer Ben Lowy, on a grant from the Magnum Foundation’s Emergency Fund, is shooting from Libya on the first-ever photojournalism inspired Hipstamatic lens — and posting exclusively to Tumblr. Check out Lowy’s Tumblr and Storyboard for more. Also see Storyboard’s interview with the photographer.
The Art of the Profile with David Remnick of ‘The New Yorker’
David Remnick writes for fun. That might seem an odd sentiment coming from the editor in chief of The New Yorker, a magazine known for an eminent tradition of literary and journalistic gravitas. But his kind of “fun” shouldn’t be misread as trivial. What Remnick considers fun to write are the signature New Yorker profile pieces, which involve weeks or months of rigorous research and legwork for the writer (running to many thousands of published words). On the occasion of Remnick’s comprehensive profile of Bruce Springsteen in the new issue, we picked his brain about the art of the modern profile and how the form originated and evolved at The New Yorker.
Summer Art Fridays: Photographer Cynthia Henebry
For our latest highlight from our Summer Art Fridays collaboration with ARTINFO, we chose the work of photographer Cynthia Henebry, a Virginia-based artist whose sensitive, emotional images often explores themes of childhood and growth. Henebry’s photos reflect a deep sense of place and a joy for the things that make summer great: the season’s abundance of light, the presence of family, and the sense of freedom that floats in the air.
Describe the piece you submitted to Summer Fridays.
This is a picture of two girls who I frequently photograph, Eloise and Sophia. They are friends, not sisters, by the way. Our families were at the pool together, and when I saw them hanging out under the tree in that light, I knew the shot that I wanted right away.
Summer Art Fridays: Moe Fink
For our fourth weekly highlight from our Summer Fridays collaboration with Artinfo, we chose the work of artist Moe Fink, who submitted a terrifically energetic abstract drawing. The piece, created in red, green, and yellow pastel, is a distillation of the summer experience.
Describe the piece you submitted to Summer Fridays.
It’s a field under a fiery sky. It was done with pastel on printer paper.
How does the piece relate to your memories of summer?
The whimsical lines and carefree depiction remind me of the whimsicality and freedom from care of childhood summers, which were some of the best.
Describe your process.
I was testing some pastels and scribbled with two, which inadvertently made a sky. I then decided to finish off the scene with a field. Then I threw it up on Tumblr, as though it were a digital fridge, for the moms of the world to see. There was no linguistic construct going through my brain … it was intuitive.
How did you end up making art?
I prefer to think of it as image-making rather than art because there is less obligation. The connotations of “art” can be a hassle. I’d rather remain a hobbyist. The ultimate inspiration for everything is death. Other than that I checked out an art history book at my local library about eight months ago and that’s when I realized I liked crafted images. It made sense to start making my own. There isn’t a time period or movement I’ve come across so far that hasn’t had something to offer me. I suppose this particular image has imbued therein children, summer, and a little Cy Twombly, who died exactly one year ago.
How has Tumblr helped you?
The ease of proliferation of images on Tumblr and the sheer quantity of them has meant a synapse-bursting acquaintance with innumerable visual styles and other content.
