Imagination is the core of Architecture. It is what helped creating those incredible landmarks and buildings from scratch. But it also what makes us see philosophy and social studies beyond their structures. It is the convergent point of science and art, an endless way to mix them, just like the vanishing point of perspective. So, it sounds natural that architecture, in turn, inspires artists. Yet, artists are not just copying urban landscapes, even when their artworks are realistic. They bring their own vision, their own imagination. It is a complete new world they are creating, in which you can form your own architectural imagination.
After my selection of architecture photography, I thought it was time to give some love to other media too. If you love urban landscapes and architecture, this is a little list I’ve created with some of my favorite visual artists (in alphabetical order). Click on the image to find their Instagram accounts and follow them. And if you know other artists celebrating architecture, just let me know!
1. Boryana Ilieva
Boryana Ilieva aka Floor Plan Croissant recreates the settings of famous films using watercolor and an amazing sense of detail.
When I shared the first article of my series Communications From Hell focusing on Jack the Ripper letters with members of the Casebook forum, one of the users, Robert St Devil, suggested that I should look into John Humble. It was indeed a really interesting recommendation. John Samuel Humble was best known as Wearside Jack during the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper. At the time, the police was taunted by someone pretending to be the serial killer through a taped message and three letters, imitating the style of some of the most famous Ripper letters. This red-herring complicated an already complex case, as the hoaxer claimed responsibility from a murder that was not part of the series and used an accent from the Wearside area (hence his nickname), leaving the investigators to neglect genuine testimonies and release Peter Sutcliffe, the real Yorkshire Ripper, four times. The murderer and the hoaxer were both caught, Humble being found guilty on four counts of perverting the course of justice, but the extent of the damages caused were unforgivable. Humble wanted to become famous and to take a revenge on police forces. He was also a fan of Jack the Ripper. Not only this example is right in the line of my previous article, but it also shows that there is no better way to disrupt a criminal investigation than by using writings. And if investigators are driven mad by words, I let you imagine what happens when they receive ciphers.
Wife killer Henry Debosnys, hanged in 1883, left behind a strange uncracked cipher
Coded messages are quite common in criminal history, and they are usually an extensive source of fascination. Most cases using ciphers will lead you down the rabbit hole as it clearly adds a huge dose of mystery to any murder or criminal act. In spite of their complex codes, some criminals were caught; it is the case of Ted Kaczynski aka Unabomber. But we have yet to solve the Tamám Shud case, the Ricky McCormick’s murder and the infamous crimes of the Zodiac Killer.
Some killers live in their own murder fantasy, where they focus on the victims, taking trophies, desecrating bodies and building rituals. But the killers who write, on the other hand, are usually more minimalistic in their violence against their preys, keeping their demonstration of madness for the public. This theory would tend to exonerate the murderer of the Canonical Five of writing the Ripper letters. Communicative killers are of course motivated by a thirst for fame, but they are also craving to prove their intelligence, their superiority and their dominance over police forces, medias and human race in general. And in this group, killers with ciphers are truly the smarty-pants. What could scream ‘genius of crime’ louder than the ultimate clue to solve a murder, handed to the investigators but in a code that even AI can’t seem able to decipher?
Illustration of the Tamám Shud case by Mario Zucca
Cipher of the Tamám Shud case
The Tamám Shud case
For the Tamám Shud case, it is not certain that the killer wanted to communicate, or if he did, his message was perhaps not intended to the general public. Indeed, this Australian cold case could hint to espionage. An unidentified man, dubbed the Somerton Man, was found dead on December 1, 1948 at the Somerton beach, south of Adelaide in Australia. Autopsy revealed a potential poisoning and a scrap of paper was found in a pocket of the victim’s trouser. The words Tamám Shud were printed on it, which translated to “ended” or “finished” in Persian. They were the last words of a book of poetry called Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. When police found the book with the missing scrap of paper, a coded message was also visible on its back. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was also found on the poisoned corpse of a man named George Marshall in June 1945, and many aspects of the Tamám Shud case are really fishy. Despite the efforts of the Australian military and naval intelligence, mathematicians, and amateur code crackers, the message was never decoded, and the case is still a mystery. Yet, it is quite certain that military men were somehow involved; some elements of the Zodiac case are also pointing toward the Army.
Murder victim Ricky McCormick and the cipher found in his pocket
The Ricky McCormick case
The cipher in the Ricky McCormick case also seems to be a private correspondence that was exposed “by accident”. On June 30, 1999, the body of Ricky McCormick was discovered in a field of St. Charles County, Missouri, an already used dumping site for bodies. The cause of death is still unknown, but it is considered foul play. Two coded notes were found in the trousers of the victim, who was illiterate. It is thought that McCormick was a courier, and as he was previously involved with gangs and drug dealers, the ciphers could be related to criminal business. But who had interest in killing the messenger? If it was the work of a contract killer hired by a rival gang (as perhaps indicated by the crime scene, previously used to discard prostitute’s bodies), why hasn’t the message been destroyed? What if McCormick was only a witness? The case is still open. Both the FBI’s Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit (CRRU) and the American Cryptogram Association failed to decipher the notes, which are ranking third in the CRRU’s top unsolved cases. Just after Zodiac’s ciphers.
Maybe too much effort was put into cracking the codes in those two cases, instead of focusing on the victims and their whereabouts. Investigators can’t resist the challenge of ciphers, and sometimes, it is for the worst, as they fell into the criminal’s trap. Also, in the two cases I’ve just described, codes were probably part of the milieu in which the victims were evolving.
Some films about the case
The Zodiac Killer
There are no spies or drug dealers in the Zodiac Killer case, but it definitely beats the usual excitement attached to these aforementioned professions, especially in films. Actually, there was something cinematic in the Zodiac killings, way before David Fincher (and many others) turned it into a movie. Indeed, the original director of the series of murders was the serial killer himself, and nobody was aware that his ciphers were just scripts, telling investigators and journalists how to fail at catching him. During decades, writing tests have been used to clear Zodiac suspects. What if the letters were just a red-herring, disrupting the investigation in the same way Wearside Jack did?
Of course, there is a difference. We’re almost 100% sure that the serial killer was responsible for the letters, not only because of the details revealed, but because one of them had a piece of victim Paul Stine’s bloody shirt enclosed. Still, we cannot rule out the theory that the writer of the letters (and ciphers) could be an accomplice, someone diverting police’s attention from the real killer. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the Zodiologist (a specialist of Zodiac, in the same way a Ripperologist is a specialist of JTR) who thought that Don Cheney, the man who claimed that Arthur Leigh Allen was Zodiac, had a handwriting surprisingly close as the one from the Zodiac letters. It is certainly an intriguing theory. It has always fascinated me that this case has so many viable suspects. But let’s focus on the ciphers.
Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin
Zodiac at Lake Berryessa illustrated by Robert Graysmith
Wanted poster with mugshots
Zodiac too has his Canonical Five, five murders that are certified to be from his hand. His victims are David Arthur Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen (both killed on December 20, 1968 near Vallejo, California), Darlene Ferrin (killed on July 4, 1969 near Vallejo), Cecelia Shepard (killed on September 27, 1969 at Lake Berryessa) and Paul Stine (killed on October 11, 1969 in San Francisco). Zodiac’s attacks also had two survivors, Ferrin’s date Mike Mageau and Shepard’s date Bryan Hartnell. The first cipher was sent in three parts to Northern California’s newspapers, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner and the Vallejo Times on July 31, twenty-seven days after his second Vallejo attack. The coded messages, made of 408 symbols, are requested to be printed in the front page of each publication. Someone is looking for attention. That first communication is deciphered by a couple of amateur code crackers and revealed ramblings about collecting slaves for the afterlife.
Cracked version of the 1st Zodiac cipher
Other ciphers were sent by Zodiac, including one supposed to reveal his identity with 13 symbols and one of 32 symbols, joined to a mysterious map of Mount Diablo. They were never cracked. As the interest for cryptography seems to fade away in his audience, the serial killer focused on his crazy letters, then on postcards. The last writing identified as a Zodiac letter was received in January 1974. The writer clearly wants to play with someone he thinks would be worthy of his intelligence, but he is also boasting a lot, and the ciphers could actually be just random symbols.
Message left on victims’ car at Lake Berryessa
The Mount Diablo map
Zodiac Halloween postcard
At one point, Zodiac took credit of a cold case, the murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30, 1966 in Riverside, Southern California. Military-style heel prints were found on the crime scene and letters were sent to the local police and newspapers, as well as to the family of the victim, signed with a stylized Z. Investigators decided to include a military experience (with knowledge of military coding) in the profile of the killer. He claimed many more victims, and California is packed with unsolved murders of couples in lover’s lanes or isolated victims that could perhaps be attributed to him with a proper investigation and the progress of legal science. There is also a long list of suspects. They are all easily linked with victims, locations, army bases etc. But each time, their writing samples are spreading doubts in the investigator’s mind. With the capture of the Golden State Killer thanks to DNA, there is hope we could finally solve the case, but nothing is certain. It would be certainly interesting to discover the truth about Zodiac letters and their role in the case.
photo of Cheri Jo Bates’ crime scene
Letter sent after Bates’ murder, signed with a Z
Zodiac achieved his goal of fame as a cunning criminal. Scenarii and books are written about him and his ominous presence, still haunting America. But there is another type of writing I can think about. Some years after the series ended (at least seemingly), “Satan Saves Zodiac” was found written in blood on the wall of a crime scene in San Francisco. The murderers, a group of hippies, claimed their admiration for the serial killer. On paper, on cars, on walls, killers continue to write. It looks like the conversation they want to have with us is still going on. Do we have a say?
I love harmony. I take pleasure in style repetition and in minimalism. So, of course, I enjoy architecture photography, with its ode to geometry as well as its static dance with light. Ancient buildings are certainly more intense with their incredible amount of details, but there is poetry in contemporary architecture too, a cold refinement that brings necessary beauty to its essence. We stand close to the sky, yet we cannot help admiring this miracle of gravity. This is what architecture photography is, a constant stupefaction at our own prowess; a beautiful antinomy.
As an amateur photographer, I’ve always favored inanimate subjects such as sculpture, nature and architecture. As you may have read in a previous PHOTO THEME, I was supposed to snap away at California this year, adding new fixed memories to my humble portfolio. So instead I’m adding some of my own photographs from past travels in this selection, along with some inspiring captures that have caught my attention recently. I hope you will enjoy them too…
I don’t usually enjoy lists, but there is something challenging about them that I wanted to try, and this one came to my mind. First, because it is a very hard one. I can think of dozens of bad film adaptations of books I’ve loved, the contrary being less evident. For example, I suffered through Anna Karenine (2012), The Great Gatsby (2013) and Emma Bovary (2015) thanks to their try-hard art direction. I think most readers know that they shouldn’t watch a film adaptation of books they liked. On the other hand, a film can make you discover a book. But in general, book-to-film adaptations are a high-risk exercise which usually end up with both readers, critics and the author of the book (if alive) hating on a movie. The complains usually focus on the lack of faithfulness to the material.
Yet, books and films are two different mediums and what works on a page cannot always be translated to a screen. I actually think that a good book-to-film adaptation doesn’t have to follow a text to the letter. It has to use cinematic rewriting to save the most important part of a book, which is its essence, atmosphere or style. Events are interesting in history, not necessarily in fiction. So, this is a list of 9 clever book-to-film adaptations that respected or transcended the source material.
As you will notice, most of these movies are actually involving books or writers. There is nothing like a good mise en abyme. They can also play with storytelling the way a writer would do. Side note: Indeed, it is usually easier to make a movie about a fictional writer than about a real one, as real writers tend to romanticize their fictional counterparts, to turn them into allegories of writing. And there’s nothing romantic or entertaining in a real author, typing his social life away. But enough with this digression or even this introduction. Also, mild spoilers ahead.
ATONEMENT (2007)
Directed by Joe Wright, starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan, adapted from a 2001 novel of the same name by British writer Ian McEwan.
This movie revealed the extraordinary potential of Saoirse Ronan who plays Briony Tallis a teenage girl from a wealthy family. Briony is the perfect allegory of what a writer is, i.e. someone distorting reality to create his own twisted fiction. The movie beautifully navigated between love, drama and war genres (its Dunkirk scenes don’t compare unfavorably to Christopher Nolan’s 2017 film) and after seeing it, I was pleased to discover McEwan’s clever novel (and the rest of his bibliography).
THE BIG SLEEP (1946)
Directed by Howard Hawks, with William Faulkner for the scenario, starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Martha Vickers, adapted from a 1939 novel of the same name by American writer Raymond Chandler.
Here the unfaithfulness to the source material is easily explained by historical context. This film noir was made during the Production Code era of Hollywood. The Production Code was a self-censorship trick of filmmakers to avoid the intervention of censor boards. Violence and sex had to be hidden under subtle innuendo or even rewritten. This story with Chandler’s iconic private Philip Marlowe doesn’t lack of scandal and murder, so obviously, the movie is a bit more tamed, with a mandatory moral and happier ending. But the mystery and toxic glamour of the novel are exalted with style. And you will never see a vintage book seller as a boring individual again.
HIGH-RISE (2015)
Directed by Ben Wheatley, with a score by Clint Mansell, starring Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Jeremy Irons and Elisabeth Moss, adapted from the 1975 novel of the same name by British writer J. G. Ballard.
High-Rise is not a novel for the fainthearted. This cold dystopia describes the bestial violence seizing a high-rise building of wealthy tenants, including rape, murder and cannibalism. Fascinating yet slow-paced, the text could have been difficult to bring to the screen. But the movie does great justice to the madness of the characters, played by a wonderful cast, and to the powerful presence of the building. It’s definitely worth watching in our “post”- Covid-19 world.
LITTLE WOMEN (2019)
Directed by Greta Gerwig, starring Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern, adapted from the 1868 novel of the same name by American writer Louisa May Alcott.
This is the seventh adaptation of this classic book, so why is it the best one? Because the director decided to emphasize each of the March sisters, and not only Jo, as most of past directors did. Of course, Jo, the writer of the family, is an inspiring character, both for writers and women. If you are both, you can be pretty sure that there are chances you would be “a Jo”. Contemporary feminism taught us that only Jo types are relevant, aka independent women working for themselves and behaving like men would do. But Gerwig reminded us that every life choice is relevant for women, as intended by the original author. They can be a Meg, a wife and mother, if it is what they want. They can be an Amy, at the same time a lover and an artist, or even a Beth, someone dedicated to others. Aside this, the movie is really heartwarming and the Ronan-Chalamet duo brings a truly joyful touch.
MYSTIC RIVER (2003)
Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurence Fishburn and Laura Linney, adapted from the 2001 novel of the same name by American writer Dennis Lehane.
This is probably the most true-to-the-source material entry of this list. The movie replicates the dark, sticky and tortured atmosphere of the novel. Also, it is one of the few films supposedly based in Boston that was actually filmed there, and Eastwood shows the city in all its contrasting glory. Indeed, we couldn’t be farther from the intellectual downtown and the prestigious campus. Also, obviously the casting is topnotch and the drama unveils with a great cinematic phlegm.
THE NAME OF THE ROSE (1986)
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Sean Connery, Christian Slater and Ron Perlman, adapted from the 1980 novel of the same name by Italian writer Umberto Eco.
Whoever had read the book knows that it is packed with incredible references to history, religion and ancient books. Not as hard to read as Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum though, but far from an obvious choice for a mainstream film. Yet Annaud’s take on it was actually a success and not only it is a great mystical thriller, but it also understands and conveys the devouring passion for secret libraries and leather-bound manuscripts that is at the heart of the historical novel. Also: young Christian Slater.
THE NINTH GATE (1999)
Directed by Roman Polanski, starring Johnny Depp, Emmanuelle Seigner and Frank Langella, adapted from 1993 novel The Club Dumas by Spanish writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
This is perhaps not the most memorable film of Polanski, and perhaps not a memorable film at all. But the adaptation itself is interesting. In the novel, the main character Corso is a vintage book dealer who follows the lead of two very rare pieces. The first one is the highly esoteric De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis, the second is an Alexandre Dumas manuscript, hence the title The Club Dumas. If the book is a pleasure for bibliophiles, an adaptation of its two stories in one would have been too heavy. So, The Ninth Gate kept the satanic side only and fused it with all the swashbuckling adventure story plots of the Dumas manuscript to become an effective gothic thriller.
THE RULES OF ATTRACTION (2002)
Directed by Roger Avary, starring Shannyn Sossamon, James Van Der Beek, Ian Somerhalder and Jessica Biel, adapted from the 1987 novel of the same name by American writer Bret Easton Ellis.
Adapting an Ellis is quite a challenge. I know that a lot of people consider American Psycho a cult movie, but I don’t because it lacks the style of the novel. Bateman’s litany of brands is far more fundamental than his murder spree, and for me, the movie was just an average serial killer movie. The Rules of Attraction has his own Bateman character, Sean (Patrick’s brother). It is constituted with several narrators, often contradicting themselves, and the novel is more of a puzzle than a linear narration. Even if characters/events/elements of the book are missing from the movie, Avary’s adaptation cleverly recreated the dynamism of Ellis’ novel and style, as well as its deceptive juvenile horniness.
THE SHINING (1980)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd, adapted from the 1977 novel of the same name by Stephen King.
Last but definitely not least. I know that King was not happy with the adaptation. But this is not an article about writers being happy with their book-to-film adaptations, it is my own list 😉 Kubrick has made other great adaptations, but The Shining is definitely a masterpiece of cinema. And I think that, actually, he understood that the hotel was the main character of the story, not Jack or Danny, and his sequence-shots are just the Overlook hypnotizing us, the way he seduced Jack… no offence, Mr King.
Of course, there are several other book-to-film adaptations that are great, but as I either didn’t see the movie or read the book, I cannot say if they are cleverly made. For example, I read Fight Club with great interest but haven’t seen the Fincher movie yet, and I have loved Far From the Madding Crowd (2015) but didn’t read the Thomas Hardy’s novel.
So, obviously, I want to extend this personal list in the future. Feel free to recommend your own favorite books and their movie adaptation to me, I’m always looking for great fiction to read and watch!
I’m working on several longer articles right now, but in the meantime, I will share with you another selection of one of my favorite mediums, photography. I’m myself an amateur photographer. I never do portraits so you’ll probably find me shooting in cemeteries and nature. This year, I planned to practice one of my beloved themes in particular, palm tree photography. Stop smiling, 2020, I see you. Yes, you guessed it, it was “postponed”. So instead, I’m going to share with you some great artistic pictures of this specific tree.
Palm trees have a unique aesthetical place in the vegetal reign. They are associated with exotic destination, glamorous settings as well as a minimalistic beauty. When they are not leaning over cinematic locations, they are flirting with clouds, binding earth and sky, art and reality. Palm tree photography is part of dream made of warm scents, sea spray and easy living. Just imagine you’re driving in a coastal road with Lana Del Rey playing in the car radio and enjoy this selection of gorgeous palm tree photographs.
Some of you may ask, but what does the Ripper in my name stands for? When I became a blogger for Tattoodo and it was time to pick a pen name, I looked at my bookshelves, which were covered of books on the Jack the Ripper case. So, in a hurry, I thought, why not “Jen the Ripper” which later turned into Jen Ripper for more professional jobs. Now, I guess your second question will be “why do you have books on a serial killer”? Yes, I own books on True Crime and criminal case studies. I don’t worship murderers and criminals; I study real murder and crime stories in a sociological and historical standpoint. If you are tired of history books full of high-level politicians and monarchs, and if you’re willing to learn more about your ancestors, then here’s my tip: murder stories will give you an incredible insight in their lives and psyche. We have a lot of prejudices regarding our ancestors. Browsing old newspapers to investigate past cold cases, studying old records or reading testimonies at past inquests will open your mind on how “modern” people were. You’ll soon discover that you are sharing many dark fascinations and twisted humor with your forebears. This concealed heritage is also showing impressive forms of humanity and can be a great lesson for our present and future.
If you wish to learn about True Crime, there are thousands of books, blogs, YouTube channels and more, full of “10 most sadistic killers ever” and other gruesome details devoted to catch your click. Of course, studying True Crime will inevitably expose you to shocking facts or pictures, but I’d like to bring you to a more intellectual ground, a place where we could explore together the motives of criminal fascination and the impact of dark stories on communities, societies and culture. As a writer, I was especially drawn in stories involving written material. Some of these involve murders, other poison-pen letters; most of them are still a complete, brain-teasing mystery. Feel free to try to crack them if you are an internet sleuth. This series of articles reuniting True Crime and Writings is called ‘Communications From Hell’ and I will start with a classic, the famous letters of Jack the Ripper. But actually, maybe you could learn a new thing or two… the point is not to pose as an expert but to start reflections and conversations, so of course, I will not go in-depth, just bring out some interesting food for thoughts.
The name of Jack the Ripper must already be familiar to you. It ran through our culture, especially in horror genre, and we all think we know the details, because we passively accepted sensationalism and gory fiction as historical facts. Now and then, Jack makes the headlines again, with a theorist claiming to have unmasked the most famous serial killer of history. Again and again. These theorists are called Ripperologists. If you devote years of your life to read about and research this case, you end up being one and having theories on the identity of the Whitechapel fiend. I know I do. But believe me or not, there is a bigger mystery than his real name and motives, a phenomenon that defies criminal and societal logic. It is the letters from the Jack the Ripper’s case.
From Hell
A movie on the case using the letter as a title and taking liberties with historical facts
The From Hell letter
George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee
Popular culture only retained one letter believed to be by the hand of the murderer, the “From Hell” letter. This missive was sent to George Lusk, the leader of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. This group of vigilantes was constituted of sixteen East End businessmen and tradesmen on the 10th of September, 1888. This was two days after the brutal murder of Annie Chapman and ten days after the one of Polly Nichols, two destitute women in their forties. These women were considered the two first victims of the Ripper, part of the “Canonical Five”. But murders and assaults were unfortunately common in the East End of London in the 1880s, and the local community had already lost trust in the Metropolitan Police to keep their streets safe. Hence the creations of numerous Vigilance Committees. The fact that so many people believe that the only authentic letter sent by the Victorian murderer was not to a head of police but to a local man who was feeling responsible of his community says a lot about our common idea of justice and especially resonates in the current situation.
The “From Hell” letter was sent on October 16, 1888. Contrary to popular belief, it is not signed “Jack the Ripper” but instead “Catch me when you can”. The handwriting is messy, with a broken English and a provocative content. Indeed, its author had joined a physical evidence: a kidney. This is the reason why many Ripperologists think that the From Hell letter is genuine, because 4th Canonical victim Catherine Eddowes was missing a kidney. Kate has been killed on September 30 in the so-called ‘Double Event’ just one hour after 3rd victim Elizabeth Stride. On the other hand, many specialists think that as there was no way to check if the organ was the one of that poor woman (or even belonging to a human being at all), we cannot rule out this letter and its macabre enclosure as a bad prank. You have to remind that Victorian era was the rise of gutter press and that clueless police officers didn’t kept details of investigations a secret. I guess that someone unfamiliar with the case would sweep this hypothesis away by claiming that no sound person would impersonate a serial killer, especially by sending a real kidney to a vigilante. Well, studying the Ripper letters would prove them wrong.
A Prolific Writer?
The Openshaw Letter – October, 29, 1888
A telegram to Inspector Abberline – November, 21, 1888
Letter to Charles Warren – October, 5, 1888
Letter to James Monro – July, 19, 1889
Ripper letter – October, 6, 1888
There are around 700 letters gathered in the Home Office’s Jack the Ripper files. Yes, you read it well, seven hundred letters. And none of them can be officially attributed to the serial killer, despite huge efforts from scientists. Yet, Victorian investigators were able to trace some of these missives to their original authors. And, surprise! They were not a Whitechapel monster covered in blood. Take the case of Maria Coroner, for example, a woman from Bradford, or even of 14 years old Charlotte Higgins. They were caught, among other writers, for having sent macabre Ripper letters. Many of them were women, some of them very young (and supposedly candid). But why did they do that? Some writers were trying to put pranks on local newspapers or to scare someone they disliked. But the main hypothesis was the thrill of being a monster, just the time of a letter. Maria Coroner was infatuated with the local hangman, so serial killer groupies are not a contemporary phenomenon. They didn’t post their love for Ted Bundy or James Holmes on Tumblr in Victorian era; they were sending Ripper letters.
A collage from fans of mass murderer James Holmes , the Holmies
Ripper letter with drawings
Ripper letter with sketch of a victim
Ripper letter with blood, claimed to be from victim Elizabeth Stride
Nowadays, fans of serial killers are making Valentine’s cards; in the 19th century, teens were sending letters with grisly drawings and details
Fascination for gore has always been part of humanity; Roman circus prove it. Nineteenth century’s series of murders were a nightmare for early crime scene investigators as crowd gathered to take a close look to corpses and blood baths. Serial killings probably existed way before this time, but they were more recorded from then and increasing in amount and horror. This escalation parallels the development of press as we know it: fast, international and lurid.
Pictorial News: the crowd after Mary Jane Kelly’s murder
Pictorial News: the crowd on the crime scene of Kate Eddowes
Signed Jack the Ripper
The Dear Boss letter…
… and its famous « trade name » signature.
The Saucy Jack postcard
For Ripperologists, other letters are competing with the From Hell one in potential authenticity. It is the Dear Boss letter, and other missives attributed to the same author by specialists. The handwriting and the language are fluent, the red ink is catchy. Perfect for headlines! Starting with “Dear Boss”, the first letter was received by the Central News Agency of London in September 25, 1888. Its signature is obviously iconic as it was the first time the nickname Jack the Ripper was used. If later in criminal history journalists were the ones picking names for killers at large, in 1888, it was an anonymous, provocative letter sent to the press… do you feel the sarcasm yet?
Ripper letter using a newspaper’s headline
Ripper letter written on a newspaper
Yes, the Dear Boss letter, along with the Saucy Jack Postcard (seemingly of the same hand) are suspected to have been forged by a journalist to capitalize on murders. The name of Frederick Best of the Star is one famous guess. Rumors are strong that heads of police were aware of this scam but never revealed it to avoid a legal imbroglio. The idea of a fake letter with a catchy name was no stranger to late 19th– early 20th century journalism, and American press mogul Randoph Hearst would certainly not have denied it… actually some researchers think that the Dear Boss writer was American. The motto of journalism was then (or still is?) to invent the facts to tell an attractive story, rather than just reporting truth.
Finding Polly Nichols in Buck’s Row
Finding Elizabeth Stride in Berner Street
Finding Kate Eddowes in Mitre Square
The press grows in sensationalism
Legacy
The chicken or the egg, which was first? The question applies with the murderer of Whitechapel and the Jack the Ripper letters. Which of them triggered the historical and international obsession for this Victorian case? Think about it. If the killer of Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly (maybe among others) wouldn’t have been associated with a catchy nickname and thousands of crazy letters, would he (and at the same time, his victims) had such a cultural impact? In her essay “The Five”, Hallie Rubenhold regrets that the identities and stories of the unfortunate victims of Whitechapel have been erased by the myth and cult dedicated to their murderer. The feminist author criticizes the depiction of the Canonical Five as sexy prostitutes in movies, and dispute the very fact that they were sex workers, proving that the narration of this case is constantly evolving from the events of 1888, with more writings…
But who knows who are Rosa Trice and Edward Andrassy? The first one was a 35 years old black woman of the Pittsburg community, murdered on January 22, 1911 by an unknown killer dubbed the Atlanta Ripper. The second one was a bisexual young man killed in September 23, 1935 in the series of the Cleveland’s Torso Murders. Neither of their murderers wrote letters. Just like the victims of Jack the Ripper, they were coming from a poor background and were not friends with justice. But only True Crime amateurs know them, because their story was lost in History. So, if there are things to regret in the treatment of the Canonical Five in popular culture, at least, their names were not lost and this because of some weirdos and dubious journalists.
Annie Chapman, victim of Jack the Ripper
Edward Andrassy, victim of the Cleveland Butcher
On the other hand, I have chosen the cases of the Atlanta Ripper and the Cleveland Butcher on purpose, as they killed after Jack the Ripper. The Whitechapel case gained worldwide attention, and many cities claimed to have had Ripper cases (not just New York). It was the first time someone was being internationally famous for something else than politics, arts or sciences. A popularity within anybody’s reach! If you read articles about serial killers, you know that fame is part of their motives. They usually admire other serial killers the way kids are fans of baseball players. So, the Ripper letters were actually the perfect handbook for the wave of serial killers that was about to submerse the 20Th century, especially in the USA. Some of these killers and criminals stayed silent. Others wrote letters, who were eerily similar to the Dear Boss or From Hell letters. And some went even further in macabre creativity, shaping new traumas in new communities and highlighting other social issues of our society…
« Dear Editor », a letter sent by serial killer Zodiac in 1978 to Bay Area newspapers
If press shaped History as we know it, some disturbed minds were looking for a way to force the public to read their very own story, leaving a mark in our collective memory. If you want to know more about them, watch this space. And don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss the topic, give infos or just send some feedback on this series of True Crime articles.
As I said in my previous PHOTO THEME, a good photography usually makes you speechless; it’s all about emotions and thoughts, so I decided to share selections of my favorite photographs with just a theme. I will give you the freedom to contemplate them and decide if you too feel the art.
I dream to visit California for a long time. And, this year, I was supposed to go there, to take a lot of pictures of palm trees, beaches and everything connected with my favorite songs (yes, Hotel California is one of my favs), movies and books. But apparently, 2020 said no. So, instead, I will just look at amazing pictures of California and the places I would have loved to visit. Until the Universe behaves. Do you want to make that digital trip with me? If yes, check this selection of beautiful photographs of Californian landscapes…
I rented Under the Silver Lake on iTunes in the spring of 2019. I usually watch every new movie released on the platform because I like to make discoveries, little jewels that were never released in local theaters. And it was the case with this 2018 film directed by David Robert Mitchell. It was love at first sight, to the point that I felt the need to buy it as a DVD to keep it, just like an art object. I recently watched it again and I wish to share my thoughts on this underrated masterpiece. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend it, especially before you read this review, which includes several spoilers.
The plot is way simpler than the movie genuinely is. Yep, Under the Silver Lake is intense, crazy. It follows the trippy wanderings of Sam, played by Andrew Garfield, looking for Sarah, a girl he just met but disappeared, played by Riley Keough. If the story is captivating, a real Russian doll of pop references and mad urban legends, it is the cinematography that attracted me the most. The images are incredible, hypnotic, haunting, unapologetically fun … this movie is a deep, satisfying massage for your right brain.
Under the Silver Lake immediately joined my personal Hollywood trilogy of movies, with Mulholland Drive (2001, directed by David Lynch) and Sunset Boulevard (1950, directed by Billy Wilder). Yes, three films with Los Angeles places as titles, all giving a twisted, dark insight of the movie industry. Sunset Boulevard revealed the misfortune of has-been actors and the sacrifice of a screenwriter. Mulholland Drive revealed the misfortune of aspiring actors and the sacrifice of a director. As for Under the Silver Lake, it reveals the misfortune of Hollywood’s glamour and the sacrifice of a pop culture fan. Taken as a whole, they are illustrating both our fascination for the world of cinema and its grim deception (that never surpass the first one).
Andrew Garfield at his best
Sam, the main character of Silver Lake, doesn’t like to speak about his lack of profession and, in a way, he seems as lost and amnesiac as Mulholland Drive’s character Rita. But contrary to Lynch’s naive heroine, Sam is a looser. He literally stinks because of a skunk encounter and he is facing the same financial problems as Sunset Boulevard’s hero Joe Gillis. When we first discover Sam, we also notice he’s living by a swimming pool, reminding of the famous one of Sunset Boulevard. Fortunately for the Under the Silver Lake hero, only secondary characters will end up floating or dying underwater. He will also make a different choice than Mulholland Drive’s Rita when faced with the Hollywoodian truth; he will accept it and distance himself from it, saving seemingly both his life and his future in the city of Angels. The magic of Tinseltown still can happen for him. As Alice in Wonderland, Sam goes down the rabbit hole but come back to the surface where he sees a poster with the slogan “Hamburgers are love” replacing one with “I see clearly now” on a billboard. Some could see an advice to favor consumerism over truth. But I prefer to read it as Style over Substance, aka Seventh art over woke Hollywood.
That t-shirt though…
In a way, Under the Silver Lake goes beyond Sunset Boulevard and Mulholland Drive in their tribute to the big screen. Yet, we never see studios or crews. The only casting call witnessed is in the background (and probably more linked to prostitution than filmmaking), cinema stars are plaster masks on a collector’s wall and movies only appear on screens, either projected in a cemetery or on Sam’s TV. But you can spot numerous cinematic references on the posters in the hero’s apartment (A Farewell to Arms, Wolfman, Psycho, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula etc.) and in the recreation of classic movie scenes such as Hitchcock’s Rear Window (Sam on his balcony), Kubrick’s The Shining (bathroom scene) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (the empty tomb at the end of the tunnels) as well as Marilyn Monroe’s last movie Something’s Got to Give (Sarah’s pool scene). You can even spot a reference to Winding Refn’s Neon Demon (the songwriter’s house). The tribute seems to come from a fan, not from someone part of the industry which is a refreshing view. The movie also includes cinema in a wider context, the one of pop culture and entertainment, along with music, video games, comics, animation, painting, performance art, advertising and even porn.
Familiar bathroom configuration
David Robert Mitchell plays with codes; strictly speaking as, to find Sarah, Sam will have to decode many clues. But the director also included riddles for his audience both in the movie (Sam’s tees, the dog killer graffiti seen in reverse) and even in the movie poster (can you spot Sam’s face?). The most in-your-face foreshadowing device is of course R.E.M.’s song ‘What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?’. The lyrics both fits the conspiracy theme of the movie and the generational issue described by Sam’s bar buddy, the fact that millennials are craving for the magic that older generations seemed to have lived with (and if you are looking for more movie jokes, just think about Andrew Garfield having his hand glued to a Spiderman comic and being friend with Topher Grace).
Do you see it?
The codes of the movie are also those of the Neo Noir, the contemporary version of Film Noir inspired by crime literature such as Raymond Chandler’s books and classic movies such as Polanski’s Chinatown (also a title with a LA area). The main plot of Noir is a private detective suddenly entangled in a dangerous situation involving powerful persons, usually the crazy kind. You can add a femme fatale or a damsel in distress. In Under the Silver Lake, Sam is our cereal box private and Sarah our blonde to rescue (or not). Also, the usual aesthetics of film noir are missing or mocked. Everything dangerous is a red-herring, such as the Owl’s Kiss or the Cult of the Whale (think: Moby Dick style obsession). The many kooky characters punctuating Sam’s quest are intentionally lacking of personality (and of names) and are knowingly or not dissuading him to go on his investigation (just like his friend Allen who asks him “are you sure you want to do that?” during the chess party). Bye bye mystery; the loneliness and voyeurism of Los Angeles are made sublime. Indeed, the only character that matters is actually the city of Los Angeles itself.
One of the many stylish views of LA in the movie
Apparently, tourists are (were, let’s put this fact into a post Covid-19 tense) enjoying the sightseeing of locations from movie La La Land. Personally, I would certainly follow an Under the Silver Lake tour instead any time. If you want to spot all the film’s locations, such as the Last Bookstore, check this article of LA Mag.
I mean, during the time of the movie, characters watch a movie in Hollywood Forever’s cemetery, party inside of it (or should I say under it) and even sleep in its grounds. That element only makes that Under the Silver Lake is my favorite movie as I am a huge cemetery lover. Why? Because it is at the same time gothic, bucolic and full of stories. For David Robert Mitchell though, it goes beyond a mysterious exterior location. Indeed, what is Hollywood Forever other than a bunch of tombs for rich and famous people set under Los Angeles? Yes, it mirrors the tombs that Sam discovers in the tunnels where mogul Jefferson Sevence, who drives the same car as Gary Cooper, has bought himself an afterlife. Death is central in the movie, so does the famous LA burial ground. It is also the place where Sam comes face to face with his mother’s idol, silent film actress Janet Gaynor and where icon of Noir Hitchcock is making a witty appearance after his death, in the scene where the hero meets the Shooting Stars girls for the first time.
Hitchcock’s tombstone at Hollywood Forever, photography by Jared Cowan for LA Mag
The Silver Lake of the title is oddly absent. This neighborhood of millennial hipsters is only used for its reservoirs and by the Comic Man (played by Patrick Fischler), who pretends that it was cursed by a failed actor, jealous of the success of dog actors, a story that may have influenced the Dog Killer. This underlying arc of the narration is visible through graffiti, lost dog posters, nightmares and drug induced visions as well as the hero’s backstory with a former girlfriend, which he finds again thanks to another canid, a coyote. The hobo king wonders if Sam could be the Dog Killer and even if Sam’s story is convincing, a doubt is persisting, especially as the mystery remains unsolved.
Who is the Dog Killer?
Barking Feminists?
Dogs are mirroring girls in the movie. They both bark (yes) and get lost. If dogs are killed to avenge a failed actor, girls are lured into prostitution through lousy acting gigs. The female actress friend of Sam is obviously working in the porn industry, while the girls he met are all escorts. For them, getting in movies is a way to meet a millionaire, just like in Sarah’s favorite movie, How to Marry a Millionaire (1956). They could also end up alone in their room, crying in front of the drone camera of their voyeuristic neighbor. This scene is not pointless at all, as it makes a parallel with the end of the movie, when Sam sees Sarah in a room via a video call, hiding the fact that she’s crying. All the young female characters, even if nothing happen to them in front of the camera, seem to be facing a dark future.
Riley Keough as Sarah
Grace Van Patten is the magnetic Balloon Girl
India Menuez (center) and Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney (right)
Let’s get Freudian. The movie starts with Sam checking out his topless older neighbor, while his mother calls him on the phone to tell him about a Janet Gaynor movie. Then, Sam chooses to seduce a younger woman instead, founding himself into hot water. At the end of the movie, Sam finally sees the movie sent by his mother and starts a relationship with his older neighbor. Suddenly, it is as if the adventure in between those two scenes was just a parenthesis, a dream, a pop fiction, avoiding him a hinted suicide and providing a solution to his financial problems. Is Under the Silver Lake a plea for mature lovers? Well, Sam’s aged neighbor owns parrots instead of dogs and he looks happy. Let’s hope for him that she is not a crazy former actress looking for a screenwriter to revive her career… after all, the swimming pool is still around.
Note from May 2020: Almost two months ago, I wrote this article in the early weeks of quarantine. As some art lovers joked on Instagram, « we were all Edward Hopper’s paintings now ». As much as I love Hopper’s solitary presences in urban surroundings, I personally connected more with the paintings of 19th century Danish artists. Looking at them always made me feel better and I wanted to share this well-being with others. If it would ease social isolation for one or two persons, my goal would be achieved. Almost two months after, the world is starting or planning to open again. We all had ‘rainy’ days and ‘sunny’ days during this time, and some of us have started to rethink their life. It is my case. The comfort I’ve found in 19th century paintings reminded me how, more than 10 years ago, I had started studying Art History and had to stop my classes to support my family. I’ve never seen History as better than our present, nor in the past a fictional refuge. On the contrary, I think that memories and lessons from the past can help us being well-grounded in the present and give us clues to build our own future. So for me, it is time to connect the beauties of history with the possibilities of today (and tomorrow). I hope that you too have found hopes and projects during shelter in place and I wish they turn into realities. In the meantime, let’s find solace and encouragement with Danish artists who made the most of their national difficult experience.
This article was originally published on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s blog on March 26, 2020.
Anna Ancher (1859-1935) – Girl in the Kitchen
In the flood of articles published since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, a suggestion caught my attention; let’s turn to Hygge to relieve people during lockdown. As I was trying to find a way to help others, as well as myself, face this stressful situation, I took some time to think about this piece of advice.
For a long time, I’ve enjoyed Danish art and I often look at the paintings of Skagen’s artists to find peace and resilience. So, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to share this with others, to start a positive conversation. After all, as American artist Lawrence Weiner said, “Art is a conversation. And if there’s no conversation, what the hell it is about?” So, maybe let’s talk about Danish paintings and (real) Hygge. Yes, now. In Covid-19 times. Because, why not?
Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) – Interior With Young Man Reading
In 1864, Denmark had lost territories after a series of wars. The country withdrew into itself, forcing its people to look after a less demonstrative idea of happiness. Danish people then decided to borrow Norwegian word hygge, which in Middle Age meant ‘console’ and ‘support’ to name their new lifestyle. This new way to find happiness is inside, in the protection of your own house, where you enjoy the comfort of your interior, of your family and of activities such as reading and creating.
Of course, now, the concept of Hygge is sold to you through blankets and perfumed candles. It can be this, if you want to, but at first, it is much more about enjoying the peace and safety of your inner world in hard times. It is about acceptance, patience and surviving until better days. Perhaps this is exactly what the world needs right now, at a time when we have no choice but to confine ourselves to fight Covid-19.
Carl Holsøe (1863-1935)
Georg Achen (1860-1912)
Peter Ilsted (1861-1933)
Silence, seclusion and social distancing may seem scary, but maybe we could try to see the philosophy and even the beauty of our situation (yes). Nineteenth Century’s Danish artists certainly succeeded in turning the hardships of their country into gorgeous paintings. These beauties from the past focus on the contrast between daylight and dim interiors. The houses are often minimalistic, yet cozy and the result is more peaceful than gloomy. Yep, for Hygge less is more.
The figures in these paintings are never evoking loneliness, as they are either concentrated on their tasks or building their inner universe. The invisible presence of the painter is also strong, and the powerful link between the artist and the model is emphasized by each brushstroke. There is tenderness in these artworks. And that’s something you can hoard without shortage.
Johannes Wilhjelm (1868-1938) – Noonday Rest
We can easily imagine, beyond the silence of the canvas, the soft noise of the pages of a book being turned, a hummed melody, the song of some birds outside or any music you’d like to listen to. The characters are often looking through their windows, and we can imagine that they could wave at confined neighbors. Some of these ancient Danish paintings can even portray those neighbors, creating social contacts without outside activities and Wifi.
So you may ask, how should I relate to some static paintings from another century in my apartment or house filled with hi-tech and scary news? Well, you could start by restraining yourself from refreshing media pages every second, and even distancing from them (keep informed, but not addicted). Grab a book, put your chair near the window to get some sun and read. It can be fiction, but also essays, art books, school books, etc. This is the time to learn, to put yourself in someone’s else skin or to improve your own skills. You’d be surprised how you can widen your universe by just staying on that chair, inside a room.
Peter Ilsted
Vilhelm Hammershøi
Peter Ilsted
You are an artist? Take your tools and fix this moment on paper, on a canvas or on your tablet. If you are confined with someone, make their portrait. Ask your neighbors if you can sketch them through the windows. Connect with members of your family as well as with strangers who are alone; you could cheer them up with art and learn about them. Re-invent the motion inside of the frozen city.
And if you are alone, take the time to really see and admire the light. Light is art, it is life. By staying home right now, you are also bringing life to others and to you. You are not spreading a virus that could kill elders and people with chronic diseases (yes, even young, very young persons), people from your family, your friend circle or just innocent strangers. The time you’re spending inside is years of life you are giving to others and to yourself. Turn your restlessness into something creative. Become a better person for you, for your close relations and for your society. Make art that will turn this sad moment into something more beautiful and that will comfort others.
Paul Fischer (1860-1934) – The Birthday
Also, keep something in mind. This crisis won’t last. As Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov said, “Everything will turn out right, the world is built on that.” Every dark period of history leaded to better days. Take Denmark for example; after these hardships, they became one of the happiest countries in the world. Let’s start the process right now by putting some encouraging Hygge in our lives.
Note from April 2020: This interview was a huge confidence booster in my career. So if I’m putting it here, it is to send a message to all the aspiring/shy writers that are not confident enough to request interviews to some artists because they are « too famous », « too secretive », etc. When I emailed Chiara Bautista back in 2014 and she accepted to answer my questions, I didn’t know how lucky I was, until almost every art magazine in the planet asked me to help them get in touch with her. It was crazy. I had just emailed her because I was feeling there was something special in her work (and still believe this). I didn’t know her interviews were so rare. So, if you are backpedaling every time you want to get in touch with someone you really want to interview or write about, just don’t. Sure, you can get no answer or a refusal, but you can also get really lucky. So go ahead with your gut feelings. Ignite the conversation.
This article was originally published on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s blog on June 23, 2014. I have only quickly edited the syntax and spelling in my intro.
For years, details on artist Chiara Bautista, a.k.a Milk have been leaked in dribs and drabs and her interviews are not legion. But she exceptionally accepted to answer some questions for beautiful.bizarre…
But first, let’s introduce her and her amazing art.
At 38 years old, Chiara Bautista is one of the most fascinating artist that has ever been revealed by the Internet. What fascinates first is of course her work, from sketches to digital art and painting, with recognizable gracious lines and elements that connect her to pop surrealism and graphic novels. Indeed every piece of Chiara’s work is inhabited by mysterious and poetic creatures borrowed from fairy tales and released into the modern world. But it’s her story that makes Chiara’s work unique and spellbinding. Not necessarily her biography, a bachelor’s degree in Graphic design and a long career as an illustrator for the Arizona Daily Star, in her home of Tucson, USA. No, it’s her out-of-this-world, romantic relationship with her muse, nicknamed Ilka, met online and never in real life (as far as we know). The art of Chiara is a real conversation with her muse that we are able to witness, without having the keys of understanding; we are still caught up in all its magic and romance. No need to add more.
The artworks and Chiara’s answers will give you a special insight into this enigmatic and fascinating artist.
Where do you find the inspiration for all the lovely creatures that inhabit your drawings (the wolf, mermaids, teddy bears, skeleton birds, etc)?
The characters and their ongoing stories are made as gifts for people I love. They are usually born from conversations, most of them from a single sentence said at the right time.
There are some references to religion and martyrs in your art : is it an inspiration, and what meaning do you see behind it?
I’m Mexican, born and raised in México, and religion is a big part of my culture. Religious icons are found and seen everywhere, not only in churches, so I grew up with that imagery as part of the background. The meaning I see in it, varies, and the only thing that never changes is that I’ve always thought they are very beautiful.
You often depict love stories with a sweet melancholy and irony : do you believe in love?
Of course I believe in love. I’m in love. And even when I’m not in love, I still believe in it.
Do you think that pain is more beautiful to draw than happiness?
I think everything can be beautiful if presented the right way. It’s all about perspective. You know what they say… for every downside, there’s an upside.
Music is really present in your artworks : how much is it important when you are working?
I love all kinds of music, I listen to music all the time. Not as much lately due to headphones being banned at work, but hey, I can always sing while I draw. I don’t need music to work, but working is definitely a lot more enjoyable with music.
Have you ever considered doing comics or books ? What are your projects?
I have a lot of projects and never enough time to work on all of them. On top of my list, comics and graphic novels are something I’d like to try but I’d have to learn and practice a lot first. Telling a story frame by frame requires a lot more than just being able to draw. My admiration goes to all comic artists out there.
Your drawings are often used for tattoos : what do you think of it ? Are you connected with tattoo art?
I find very flattering that people like my work that much and I think it’s really sweet that they find a personal connection to the characters and their stories. As for myself, my only connection to tattoo art are the pictures people share with me when they get my illustrations tattooed on them, and the huge respect I have for tattoo artists.
Huge thanks to Chiara Bautista to let me use her words and images. Check her Facebook page for more.
Jen Ripper Gori 