Welcome to potpourri, our grab-bag of wonders this month as we move from Africa to Japan, from Jewish culture to San Jose and on to France.

Saul Chernick has an interesting mind. For one thing, he'd like to put ads on Craig's List and in the Village Voice to sell personalized tattoos for Jews who want to memorialize their religious beliefs. In addition to designing the tattoos he wants to conduct interviews and present the package as a work of art itself. He has already been shortlisted to receive up to $45,000. from the Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists between the ages of 22 and 39. His gothic-style pen and ink drawings on paper are elegant, detailed, sophisticated and thought provoking: http://www.saulchernick.com/

ARTSHIFT San Jose has mounted an exhibtion called Art and War, subtitled "How is War Seen by Women, Soldiers, Artists?" The article by Erin Goodwin-Guerrero highlights the power of the images used and the difficulty facing artists in trying to get close to the brutality of war: http://artshiftsanjose.com/wordpress/?p=370#more-370

At the same site, click on "MACLA LOOKS AT MIGRATION" at the top of the page, which offers "Shifting Dreams, Migrating Realities". This exhibit addresses the impact on culture when populations and/or individuals relocate, attempting to adapt their values to the new reality.

A fascinating brief video announces the vibrancy of a show called "Afrika! Afrika!", subtitled "The Magical Circus Adventure from the Amazing Continent". If this clip is any indication, the show looks remarkable: http://afrika-afrika.com/

The Saatchi Gallery is showing pieces by David Batchelor. Using common objects like shelving and neon lighting, Batchelor has created some absorbing works: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/david_batchelor.htm

For those of you fascinated by Japanese art and ancient math, surf over to the Princeton Weekly Bulletin from June 5, 2006 to see and read about the Sangaku tablets. According to Princeton's Tony Rothman, "Sangaku tablets are perhaps unique among the world's cultural creations, as they are simultaneously objects of art, religious offerings, and a record of what we might call folk mathematics". http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S15/04/04O77/index.xml?section=topstories Another site discussing the tablets, uploaded in August of 2007, also includes a Sangaku clickable location map: http://www.wasan.jp/english/index.html

Each October the society of digital sculptors holds its annual conference in France. (You will recall that I was asked to be a juror last year, as well as showing work.) Intersculpt 2007, "Digital Sculpture and Biomorphism", has just posted its program notes online and it makes for fascinating reading. If you like tomorrow's science fiction today you won't want to miss this: http://www.pimkey.com/%7Einterscu/sculptbio/sculptbio-index.html#video

c.Corinne Whitaker 2008