Girls with big heads and wide eyes, who made the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara one of the most popular artists of the twenty-first century, are now present almost everywhere, if one knows where to look for them, according to the American “CNN”.
These characters can be found on T-shirts and skateboards, in the form of labels adorning water bottles, or in the artist's monumental sculptural works that occupy striking spaces. They can also be found drawn with confident, sharp lines executed by the artist himself on the walls of a modest bar in Manhattan that he visited in 2009.
Angry, spiteful, quarrelsome, bored, and confused... Nara's characters seem mysterious, but at the same time they are articulate and easy to read. It combines the artist's distinctive visual style with her remarkable ability to convey emotions and influence the recipient.
Today, Nara's figures continue to break new ground, with a retrospective of his work at David Zwirner Gallery, his first major solo exhibition in New York City in nearly a decade.
The exhibition coincides with another exhibition of his works at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., and includes a group of new works that have never been shown before, along with older works.
The exhibits range from tiny drawings on torn scraps of paper to huge, colorful portraits, whose glowing eyes seem to follow the visitor wherever he moves in the hall.
On the opening night of the Zwirner exhibition, Thursday, the artist’s fans lined up for more than an hour, in a line that extended two streets, while some of them carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain.
The audience was mostly young people, who seemed very interested in fashion and style; The bags were not devoid of “Labobo” dolls hanging from them, which are characters that also feature large eyes that, to some extent, evoke Nara’s artistic style, as well as ballet shoes with a distinctive “Tabi” design.
A few stops away on the subway, at the “Niagara” bar located in the East Village neighborhood, on whose walls Nara left his drawings more than a decade ago, fans flocked in succession on visits resembling artistic pilgrimages, whether before or after the opening of the exhibition, according to one of the bar’s employees.
There, visitors discovered a group of expressive drawings depicting Nara characters enthusiastically playing music. Today, these drawings are protected behind plastic panels.
Walking is a physical activity that is beneficial to health, as it helps improve mood, relieve stress, and enhance heart health, in addition to its role in maintaining physical activity as one ages. But continuing with it may be accompanied by pain in the feet, knees, back, or hips, as a result of repeated stress on the muscles and joints.
Theresa Schumann, a physical therapist in the United States, says that repeating the same movements for many years may affect the muscles and joints. Changes that accompany aging, such as a decline in body flexibility, muscle mass, and bone density, also contribute to increasing the likelihood of feeling pain. These changes may include a decrease in the arches of the feet, an increase in their width, and a loss of the fat pad that helps absorb shocks, according to the American magazine “Prevention.”
Sheila Dugan, a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation in the United States, advises consulting a doctor when any new pain appears, especially if it is acute or severe.
One of the most prominent problems associated with walking is plantar fasciitis, which causes pain in the heel or bottom of the foot as a result of strain on the tissues that support the arch of the foot and absorb shocks. It can be alleviated by stretching the soles of the feet, by pulling the fingers towards the leg for 10 seconds, and repeating the exercise 10 times.
Wearing tight shoes may cause toenails to become embedded in the skin, when the edges of the nail grow sideways and put pressure on the surrounding tissue. This can be prevented by wearing wide shoes and cutting nails straight. A deviated hallux (bunion) also causes a painful bony protrusion next to the big toe, and its symptoms can be alleviated by using shoes with a wide toe and custom cushions, and applying ice for 20 minutes after walking.
Another problem is Achilles tendinitis, which causes pain behind the heel and lower leg, and may result from excessive walking or climbing heights. Experts advise reducing walking distances and avoiding uphill roads, lengthening the leg muscles, and applying ice for 15 to 20 minutes.
Lower back pain may result from muscle strain or aggravation of a previous injury, and can be reduced by strengthening the abdominal and torso muscles and maintaining an upright posture while walking.
Joel Brace, a specialist in physical medicine in the United States, refers to Morton's neuroma, which causes pain or numbness between the toes, often the third and fourth, as a result of the increased thickness of the tissue surrounding one of the nerves. It is recommended to wear wide shoes and see a doctor when symptoms appear.
Repeated walking on hard surfaces may also cause shin strain syndrome, which leads to pain or stiffness in the area. It is recommended to reduce walking and allow time for recovery, while using ice compresses when needed.
Another common pain is bursitis in the hip, which results from inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction around the joints. It can be alleviated by diversifying between walking, swimming, cycling, and practicing hip muscle strengthening exercises.
As for runner's knee, it causes pain in front of the kneecap and around the kneecap bone, and may be associated with increased friction between the kneecap and the femur bone. Temporarily stopping walking and strengthening the thigh muscles and the muscles surrounding the knee help relieve pressure on the joint.
Stress fractures are one of the problems that require special attention, as they result from small cracks in the bones due to repeated stress, and they cause severe pain in the foot or lower leg. It requires seeing a doctor, avoiding putting weight on the affected area until it heals, in addition to paying attention to strengthening the muscles and eating foods that support bone health.
Environmental scientists and nature conservationists have warned that the resettlement of white-tailed eagles in England and Wales threatens populations of endangered seabirds, and may lead to the complete elimination of some of their colonies, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
A number of academics and activists in the field of environmental protection believe that releasing large numbers of these vultures may cause the collapse of the number of birds that breed in coastal areas, including puffins, guillemots, great auks, fulmars, and three-toed gulls.
Tim Birkhead, emeritus professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Sheffield, said: “In all the enthusiasm for reintroducing white-tailed eagles, no one seems to have paid attention to the fact that these birds are likely to wipe out our seabird colonies.”
The return of white-tailed eagles to Britain, after their extinction as a result of hunting and human persecution in 1918, is one of the most prominent success stories in the field of wildlife protection in recent decades.
However, there are plans to release up to 60 eagles in Gwent County, south Wales, along with 20 young birds.
Sarah Kessel, chief executive of the Wales Wildlife and Natural Areas Trust (WTSWW), said concerns were growing over plans to reintroduce white-tailed eagles across the UK, as more evidence emerged of their impact on seabirds nesting on coastal cliffs.
Kessel added: “The islands of Skomer and Skokholm are havens for populations of globally important seabirds, which are already facing multiple threats. “The additional pressures resulting from vultures disturbing these birds and forcing them to leave their habitats may have major repercussions on their reproduction.”
“We have a very important responsibility to protect seabirds on the islands that we manage,” Kessel continued.
On the other hand, one of the advocates of the reintroduction project said: “By implementing the plan in deliberate stages, we aim to establish between seven and nine breeding pairs of white-tailed eagles during the next ten years. Therefore, we do not expect this step to lead to a noticeable decline in the numbers of any particular species or to significantly affect it.”
He added: “But we expect, in return, to see healthier and more balanced ecosystems and landscapes, as predators at the top of the food chain, such as these eagles, return to thriving again.”
