ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Art

Giant Paris mural revival Rembrandt’s painting just gets bigger with AI

AMSTERDAM, June 27, (AP): One of Rembrandt van Rijn’s biggest paintings just got a bit bigger. A marriage of art and artifi cial intelligence has ena- bled Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum to recreate parts of the iconic “Night Watch” painting that were snipped off 70 years after Rembrandt fi nished it. The printed strips now hang fl ush to the edges of the 1642 painting in the museum’s Honor Gallery. Their addition restores to the work the off-center focal point that that rebellious Golden Age master Rembrandt originally intended. “It can breathe now,” museum director Taco Dib- bits told The Associated Press recently. The crowded painting’s two main characters, Cap- tain Frans Banninck Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch, are central in the chopped down painting. With the new digital additions — particularly a strip on the left of the painting that features two men and makes clear that a boy is looking over a balustrade — the main fi gures effectively are shifted to the right. “It really gives the painting a different dynamic,” Dibbits said. “And what it taught us is that Rembrandt never does Dibbits what you expect.” The museum always knew the original, uncut, painting was bigger, in part thanks to a far smaller copy painted at the same time that is attributed to Ger- rit Lundens. View of Rembrandt’s biggest painting the Night Watch which just got bigger with the help of artifi cial intelligence, (see added sides), in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Researchers and restorers who have painstakingly Wednesday, June 23. The Dutch national museum and art gallery Rijksmuseum reveals fi ndings from a long-term project to examine in minute detail Rembrandt pored over the work for nearly two years using a bat- van Rijn’s masterpiece the Night Watch. (AP) tery of high tech scanners, X-rays and digital photog- raphy combined the vast amount of data they gener- ated with the Lundens copy to recreate and print the missing strips. “We made an incredibly detailed photo of the Night Music Watch and through artifi cial intelligence or what they call a neural network, we taught the computer what color Rembrandt used in the Night Watch, which colors, what his brush strokes looked like,” Dibbits Usher’s success inspired to not give up said. The machine learning also enabled the museum to remove distortions in perspective that are present in the Lundens copy because the artist was sitting at one corner while he painted Rembrandt’s painting. How Austin rewrote his career Dimensions NEW YORK, June 27, (AP): It’s the leased in 2000, not only became a around the industry doing this.’ It just The reason the 1642 group portrait of an Amster- early ’90s and a preteen Johnta Austin hit on the pop and R&B charts — it motivated me to stick around and fi nd dam civil militia was trimmed is simple: It was moved is in the studio working on his debut is Pharrell’s No. 1 pick from Austin’s another way in.” from the militia’s club house to the town hall and there album with a pair of unknown produc- rich catalog. Austin co-wrote multiple songs it didn’t fi t on a wall between two doors. A bit of very ers named Pharrell Williams and Chad “To this day, every time I see Phar- on ’s 2006 album “20 analog cropping with a pair of scissors ensued and the Hugo. rell, he’s like: ’That’s my favorite Y.O.,” including the hits “So Excited” painting took on the dimensions that have now been Trading ideas, hearing beats and Johnta Austin song of all time,” Austin known for centuries. The fate of the pieces of canvas and “Call on Me.” writing melodies — along with a fu- said. “And then he sings it.” But one time in the studio, Austin that were trimmed off remains a mystery. ture Grammy-nominated singer-song- Pharrell remembers working with The digital recreation that will be on show in com- got a dance lesson from the pop icon. Johnta Austin poses for a portrait in writer named Joe — the artists were Austin in the early ’90s, telling the AP: “Fred Astaire is on the TV and then ing months come as part of research and restoration New York on Nov. 6, 2019. Austin has vibing out and creating magic. “Johnta just had an incredible (gift and project called “Operation Night Watch ” that began I see the move. He does this move and two Grammy Awards and has co-writ- Until Austin hit puberty. he) still has an amazing voice, and he’s I’m like, ’That’s where Michael got just under two years ago, before the global pandemic ten a handful of other multi-platinum “I got signed when I was 13, a great writer. He was talented then, at emptied museums for months. hits deemed R&B classics, including that move from! She’s like, ‘You’ve dropped when I was 15,” Austin ex- 14.” never seen this?’ I’m like, ‘No!’” Under relaxations of the Dutch COVID-19 lock- Mariah Carey’s ‘We Belong Together’ plained. “My voice changed and the Of those days, Austin remembers down, the museum can welcome more visitors from and Mary J. Blige’s ‘Be Without You.’ So Austin stands up and gives the (AP) administration that signed me left.” being in producer Dallas Austin’s re- dance a try. this weekend, but still only about half of its normal One of the songs he worked on for cording studio in Atlanta while “Phar- capacity. himself, the sultry R&B balled “Sweet rell was walking around in these big Teaching During the restoration project, the painting was en- cased in a specially designed glass room and studied Lady,” caught the interest of new sign- space boots.” “I’m playing around and she’s like, in unprecedented detail from canvas to the fi nal layer Variety ee Tyrese, who replaced Austin on the “They were young kids. I remember ‘No, no, no. You have to…’ She stands of varnish. RCA Records roster. Chad (Hugo) had to go back because up and I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ Among that mound of data, researchers created the “I was like, ‘I don’t want to do a he had classes. He had to fl y back to Janet is teaching me how to do a move song for this guy.’ In my mind at this Virginia. Pharrell he was writing, Joe most detailed photograph ever made of the painting by SOUTHAVEN, Miss: A music manager that her did in a video. This is combining 528 digital exposures. time, this guy took my spot, even was doing the demos,” he said. crazy.” says someone has stolen $200,000 in cash, though we had never met each other,” Austin recalled the Neptunes duo The 1642 painting last underwent signifi cant resto- jewelry, credit cards and other property Austin said working with Jackson ration more than 40 years ago after it was slashed by a from his north Mississippi home. he said. working on some of their early suc- was a lifelong dream, especially be- knife-wielding man and is starting to show blanching WREG-TV reports Southaven police are But Austin put his businessman hat cesses at the time, including SWV’s “ cause he was always a big fan of her in parts of the canvas. investigating after the robbery at the home on and gave the song away. Released Use Your Heart,” which reached No. 6 music. Dibbits said the new printed additions are not in- of Michael Sykes. He was out of town at in 1998, “Sweet Lady” became a hit, on the R&B charts. “I’m getting called to work (with tended to trick visitors into thinking the painting is the time. earned Tyrese his fi rst Grammy nomi- “‘Use Your Heart’ was done in her) and she’s loving the material? It’s bigger, but to give them a clear idea of what it was Sykes said burglars entered his gated nation and helped his debut album go those sessions; Joe demoed that,” Aus- still hard to sink in when you’re sitting supposed to look like. subdivision and then entered his house platinum. tin said. “You can still hear some of his with these people,” he said. “The hu- “Rembrandt would have defi nitely done it more through a fi rst-fl oor window, possibly Fast forward nearly three decades old ad-libs.” mility that she has; she is open to ideas beautifully, but this comes very close,” he said. disabling his alarm system. after he fi rst was signed, Austin now and then nurturing you to be your best. There, he says they took credit cards, Performance ❑ ❑ ❑ has two Grammy Awards and has It’s great.” $36,000 in cash, Louis Vuitton luggage, co-written a handful of other multi- Imagine this: A teenage Austin and watches, and custom jewelry with the logo of Mariah Carey’s “We Belong To- A colorful human face emerges from waves like a platinum hits deemed R&B classics, Usher running the New York City gether.” Sykes’ company, Palm Tree Entertainment. streets, visiting open mic nights and call for hope above a Parisian street, in a giant mes- including Mariah Carey’s “We Belong “We Belong Together” was the No. sage of optimism from American and French street The thieves have been making charges Together” and Mary J. Blige’s “Be honing their performance chops. on the credit cards at various stores, said “This was back when I had no busi- 1 song of the 2000s, but Austin almost artists painting a massive mural in the French capital Without You.” And the debut album didn’t work on the classic Mariah Car- Sykes, who is a manager for rapper DeAn- he fi rst worked on at 13 fi nally came ness being in these clubs. I was 14, that’s slowly climbing out of its virus isolation. dre Cortez Way, known as Soulja Boy. ey track. out — when Austin was 39 in 2019. 15,” Austin said, namedropping clubs lllustrator AJ Dungo, 29, who lives in California, Sykes said people could see from his Austin said when he was collaborat- and French graffi ti artist Da Cruz, 44, started work- “It’s been a long time coming. Defi - like Cafe Wha? and Chaz and Wilson. social media accounts that he was out ing in the studio with the pop diva and ing in mid-June on the 25-meter (82-foot) high mural nitely happy to have this album out,” “That’s back when on any given night, of town. He said the jewelry was at his Jermaine Dupri, his “publisher wanted in the 19th arrondissement, in the northeast of Paris. home and not in its usual safe deposit box he said of “Love, Sex & Religion.” they’d pass the mic around, Joe would The project, to be inaugurated Saturday, is a symbol In an interview with The Associated get the mic, Dave Hollister would get me to do this other project.” because he was planning to use it. “I was like, ’I would love to but I’m of creative rebirth, and of both cultures reconnecting “I was going to let our artists wear some Press, Austin — who turns 41 next the mic, Puff (Daddy) brought 112 after lockdowns. of the jewelry in their video,” he said. (AP) week — talks about his career, the there one night and they performed. It in Atlanta working on Mariah. They Da Cruz, who grew up in this Parisian neighbor- ❑ ❑ ❑ Grammys, getting dance tips from Ja- was great. I would always go with Carl were like, ‘Are you crazy? Mariah, she hood and used to travel regularly to different conti- net Jackson and writing hits for Carey, (Thomas) and Troy (Taylor) and pass just did ‘Glitter.’ I can’t believe you’re nents, said it was hard for him to see his projects TEANECK, NJ: Through the fl ag twirlers Blige, Aaliyah and more. the mic.” passing this up.’” and the gospel choir and the seemingly He added: “We took Usher down Austin clearly made the right stopped amid the pandemic. endless proclamations from local offi cials, “I’m working in the street because I like showing Tribute there... This is before ‘My Way’ came choice. “We Belong Together” is not Ernie Isley was able to reduce to one word just one of the most popular songs eve- my message to lots of different people, and I miss the honor of having streets named after Austin originally wrote the song out. He and I knew each other since I hearing people speaking another language and being “Miss You” with Ginuwine for the was 12 and he was like 13 coming up ry released, it appears on Carey’s “The him and his famous family in the suburban Emancipation of Mimi,” her comeback able to communicate with them through painting ... towns where they once lived: “Wow.” R&B crooner’s album, but then Aali- in Atlanta. He did ‘Call Me a Mack’ There’s always a bridge that is created by colors,” he “It’s a ‘wow’ moment,” he exclaimed. yah heard the track and wanted to re- for the ‘Poetic Justice’ soundtrack. album that cemented her spot on the told The Associated Press. “This is a spectacular culmination of a lot cord it. That’s how far him and I go back. He list of greatest singers of all-time and of dreams and a lot of prayers.” “She loved ‘Miss You.’ She was would pick me up from school. When extended her long list of No. 1 hits. Project Teaneck and Englewood, suburbs a few like, ‘This is amazing. I want to cut he got his jeep, he would pick me up. “I’d like to think we got that one The project is supported by the French American miles across the Hudson River from New it,’” Austin recalled. Me, him, Jason Weaver were riding right,” said Austin, who also co-wrote Mural Art (FAMA) program, led by the US Embassy, York City, held dual ceremonies to honor But Austin had sent her another around. That was the crew back then.” “It’s Like That,” “Shake It Off,”“Don’t in association with local festival Ourcq Living Colors. the Isley , the legendary group that song, “I Don’t Wanna,” and his team Usher is just two years older than Forget About Us” and more tracks AJ Dungo and Da Cruz have chosen to represent scored hits with songs including “Shout,” wanted the late icon to record that Austin and released his self-titled de- from the seminal album. “It was great. stylized waves at the bottom of the mural, and an ex- “,” “It’s Your Thing,” track. So they made a deal. but album in 1994. His major break- Just to be there, melodies back and plosion of colors above surrounding a central human “That Lady” and “Fight The Power.” “My manager at the time was like, through came with 1997’s “My Way,” forth, ideas back and forth. She’s a real face, with inspirations from South America and Africa. Ron Isley lived in Teaneck and Ernie ‘You have to cut ‘I Don’t Wanna’ to which featured the hits “You Make Me writer and she’s fantastic.” “We wanted to make something really optimistic lived in neighboring Englewood during get (‘Miss You’),’” Austin revealed. Wanna...” and “Nice & Slow.” During those recording sessions, he and something celebratory, because after the tragic the group’s heyday in the 1960s. Another brother, Rudolph, lived in Irvington, “Miss You” was released in 2002 Austin said Usher’s success inspired said “We Belong Together” was the year everyone went through, we thought it could help about 12 miles (19. kilometers) south of following Aaliyah’s tragic death a year him to not give up on music. last track they worked on. The bal- the community to lift their spirits a bit and give them Teaneck. The brothers helped put Teaneck prior, and the music video was a trib- “Right around that time he dropped lad spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the some hope with a meaningful image,” AJ Dungo said. on the map when they launched the T-Neck ute to her life and legacy, with every- ‘My Way’ it was like, ‘Now he’s Billboard Hot 100 chart and won the For AJ Dungo, known for his 2019 graphic novel , known to generations of music one from Jay-Z to Missy Elliott mak- the man.’” That was motivating for Grammys for best female R&B vocal “In Waves,” the giant mural is also a fi rst — the big- fans for the distinctive orange dust jacket ing cameos. me. Then I realized I had a talent for performance and best R&B song, earn- gest artwork he’s ever done. “I think the last thing I on its 45 rpm records. Aaliyah’s “I Don’t Wanna,” re- writing songs. I was like, ‘I can stay ing Austin his fi rst gramophone. painted was my niece’s bedroom for her sixth birth- It was a local music fan, Teaneck resi- day. I did like a little mural of an elephant and a pencil dent Ira Buckman, who hit upon the idea and butterfl ies,” he said. of renaming part of Van Arsdale Street as For more than a year, artists across the world have Isley Brothers Way two years ago. He was been restrained by virus restrictions. California gradu- inspired by watching a rerun of the movie Former bandmates and neighbors of- tion after hearing all the tributes. ally lifted most measures in recent weeks. France “Animal House,” which features the Isley fered reminiscences of befriending the “It’s beyond words for me to express my started reopening its economy last month, including Brothers’ “Shout.” brothers in the 1960s and ’70s. Neighbors level of appreciation and gratitude,” he told museums, theaters, cinemas and concert halls. The town’s council approved it, and after recalled swimming in Ron Isley’s family’s the crowd. “I love you people, and I thank Da Cruz said “we’ve been confi ned (at home), a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, un- backyard pool all summer long and never you for loving me, for loving us and for veiled the new sign on Isley Brothers Day in being turned away, or hearing the group’s loving .” freed, we went out again,” so the mural represents new songs before they were released to the The Isleys originally came from Cincin- “that human energy which makes us get over the hard- front of a crowd numbering in the hundreds. “I’ve lived in Teaneck since 1976 and I general public. They painted a picture of a nati and the group at one time included ships of life.” thought, ‘I’ve never really done anything to close-knit neighborhood that just happened fi ve brothers. “Shout” was their fi rst hit, AJ Dungo stressed that for many artists, last year improve the town’” until making the con- to have a world-famous band hanging out in 1959, and after being immortalized in meant “a drought of inspiration.” nection that some of the Isley Brothers had down the block. “Animal House” it has been used as a rally- lived there, Buckman joked Thursday. Ron Isley was overcome with emo- Isley Way ing cry at sporting events for years. (AP)