Space Sounds

I've found a new trick to relieve my occasional bouts of insomnia. Whenever the sandman is being a jerk and refusing to come visit me, I put on this recording of Jupiter's moon Io. Something about it is so soothing, it's like a galactic lullaby. I won't attempt explain to you the science behind how NASA was able to capture the sounds of planets and moons (I barely understand it), but I would like to tell you about the myth of Io and share my favourite painting of the subject.

Jupiter and Io, Antonio da Correggio, c. 1530,
 Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Now I finally find Abstract Expressionism interesting...

no. 8, Jackson Pollock, 1949

I was rather perturbed to learn in my Art and Propaganda class last week, that the CIA spent more than 20 years secretly funding Abstract Expressionist artists. My ignorance on this little tidbit of Cold War art history is either a testament to how little the matter is discussed today, or how little I payed attention in my second year contemporary art course. At any rate, I've been to MoMA a couple times and I don't recall any mention of this in the Abstract Expressionist exhibit. Here's an interesting article from 1995 which outlines the CIA's funding scheme: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/modern-art-was-cia-weapon-1578808.html