Thursday, January 29, 2004
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
The Village Voice: Features: What They Left Behind by Jennifer Gonnerman:
"Suitcases from an insane asylum tell of lives long lost "
"Suitcases from an insane asylum tell of lives long lost "
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Friday, January 23, 2004
William Eggleston at Cheim and Read.
Eggleston was one of if not the first photographers whose color work was taken seriously as art. He finds color and beauty in mundane scenes that aren't typically considered worthy subjects: a refrigerator freezer, shoes and junk under his bed; as well as street photos of people, some of whom regard him suspiciously.
"Precolor" exhibits his less-seen b&w photography. Some of it reminded me of Robert Frank and Gary Winogrand, other street photographers with an eye for dramatic, low-lit scenes of Americans and sometimes American paranoia. Other shots looked just like things he might have shot in color: my favorite was a column of stacking banquet chairs, two-thirds to the ceiling of a non-descript hallway.
There was also a video installation. I had no idea he shot moving images, but there was a half-hour excerpt of b&w video footage shot in 1974, presumably in Memphis, his stomping grounds. "Stranded in Canton" is named by one of the film's subjects, a Meathead-era Rob-Reiner lookalike who goes on an extended drunken riff that included a schpiel on "Canton", which he pronounced with what might have been a French accent. Of the few people who wandered into this installation, most left in a few minutes - the camera work was shaky, jukebox music got loud (a drunk old queen sings along to Zeppelin), Meathead took a piss, Meathead took a dump, some good-old boys watched a geek chew the heads off live chickens (a close-up of the guy's mouth showed his gold teeth); so I guess there was enough there to drive people away. It's an ugly and disturbing slice of the south, more so than his photos really show. There's a black and white still of Meathead on display too: he's slouched on a folding chair and appears to be either praying or sleeping on his folded hands. He looks peaceful but ... well it's hard not to project after watching his scatalogical speaking in tongues.
Eggleston was one of if not the first photographers whose color work was taken seriously as art. He finds color and beauty in mundane scenes that aren't typically considered worthy subjects: a refrigerator freezer, shoes and junk under his bed; as well as street photos of people, some of whom regard him suspiciously.
"Precolor" exhibits his less-seen b&w photography. Some of it reminded me of Robert Frank and Gary Winogrand, other street photographers with an eye for dramatic, low-lit scenes of Americans and sometimes American paranoia. Other shots looked just like things he might have shot in color: my favorite was a column of stacking banquet chairs, two-thirds to the ceiling of a non-descript hallway.
There was also a video installation. I had no idea he shot moving images, but there was a half-hour excerpt of b&w video footage shot in 1974, presumably in Memphis, his stomping grounds. "Stranded in Canton" is named by one of the film's subjects, a Meathead-era Rob-Reiner lookalike who goes on an extended drunken riff that included a schpiel on "Canton", which he pronounced with what might have been a French accent. Of the few people who wandered into this installation, most left in a few minutes - the camera work was shaky, jukebox music got loud (a drunk old queen sings along to Zeppelin), Meathead took a piss, Meathead took a dump, some good-old boys watched a geek chew the heads off live chickens (a close-up of the guy's mouth showed his gold teeth); so I guess there was enough there to drive people away. It's an ugly and disturbing slice of the south, more so than his photos really show. There's a black and white still of Meathead on display too: he's slouched on a folding chair and appears to be either praying or sleeping on his folded hands. He looks peaceful but ... well it's hard not to project after watching his scatalogical speaking in tongues.
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Ananova - Jordan's boobs 'may explode' in jungle:
"Medics have warned that Jordan's breasts could explode if leeches get to suck them in the jungle."
"Medics have warned that Jordan's breasts could explode if leeches get to suck them in the jungle."
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
From an interview with William Eggleston:
Q: You never got your ass kicked for taking a picture?
A: Occasionally I will. But usually what I'll say is [in a really upbeat,
ingenuous voice] 'May I take your picture? I'm from Memphis!' ... I just
stumbled on it. You can use it yourself ... You could use some other city, but I don't think it would have the same ring to it. Say, 'I'm from Savannah.' I don't think that would work.
frieze magazine no. 52.
Q: You never got your ass kicked for taking a picture?
A: Occasionally I will. But usually what I'll say is [in a really upbeat,
ingenuous voice] 'May I take your picture? I'm from Memphis!' ... I just
stumbled on it. You can use it yourself ... You could use some other city, but I don't think it would have the same ring to it. Say, 'I'm from Savannah.' I don't think that would work.
frieze magazine no. 52.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Friday, January 16, 2004
Welcome to the International Church of Pie!:
"Do you ever feel alone? Or that your god, whoever that may be, has betrayed you or abandoned you? Fear no more, children! The International Church of Pie has officially opened its doors to the worldwide Internet community. Abandon your hateful, evil gods, and embrace the Pie, who rules all with a gentle hand and a nice graham cracker crust"
"Do you ever feel alone? Or that your god, whoever that may be, has betrayed you or abandoned you? Fear no more, children! The International Church of Pie has officially opened its doors to the worldwide Internet community. Abandon your hateful, evil gods, and embrace the Pie, who rules all with a gentle hand and a nice graham cracker crust"
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Scotsman.com News - UK - US plane bombs Yorkshire village:
"US MILITARY investigators were last night trying to establish how one of their F-15 fighter jets managed to bomb an area of Yorkshire."
"US MILITARY investigators were last night trying to establish how one of their F-15 fighter jets managed to bomb an area of Yorkshire."
Pictures at the Hotel Armageddon:
"Proposals to convert Marienthal and reopen it as a techno-disco, a Bunker Wonderland amusement park and youth hostel or a mushroom farm went nowhere."
"Proposals to convert Marienthal and reopen it as a techno-disco, a Bunker Wonderland amusement park and youth hostel or a mushroom farm went nowhere."
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Friday, January 09, 2004
David Crawford - Online Studio:
"The Stop Motion Studies extend my long standing interest in narrative and, in particular, look at the subway as a stage upon which social dynamics and individual behavior are increasingly mediated by digital technology. As one of the most vibrant and egalitarian networks in our cities, subways bring people from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds into close contact with each other. This process plays a significant role in shaping both the character of a city as well as our individual identities. "
"The Stop Motion Studies extend my long standing interest in narrative and, in particular, look at the subway as a stage upon which social dynamics and individual behavior are increasingly mediated by digital technology. As one of the most vibrant and egalitarian networks in our cities, subways bring people from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds into close contact with each other. This process plays a significant role in shaping both the character of a city as well as our individual identities. "
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
American Newspaper Repository | Home:
"We founded the American Newspaper Repository in 1999 in order to save a unique collection of original newspapers that would otherwise have been destroyed or dispersed. The Repository exists in order to preserve and make available to the scholarly public, and to future generations, these magnificent landmarks of American publishing. "
"We founded the American Newspaper Repository in 1999 in order to save a unique collection of original newspapers that would otherwise have been destroyed or dispersed. The Repository exists in order to preserve and make available to the scholarly public, and to future generations, these magnificent landmarks of American publishing. "
LA Weekly: Features: Uncensored Gore:
"Do you not think of Bush and Ashcroft as Americans?
I think of them as an alien army. They have managed to take over everything, and quite in the open. We have a deranged president. We have despotism. We have no due process."
"Do you not think of Bush and Ashcroft as Americans?
I think of them as an alien army. They have managed to take over everything, and quite in the open. We have a deranged president. We have despotism. We have no due process."
Monday, January 05, 2004
Family albums: figures of intimacy:
"Thanks to photography, a new genre of representation appeared at the end of the 19th century, testifying to family links of affection. It bloomed in the family albums the bourgeoisie and aristocracy prepared for their relatives. Often skilfully composed, these albums also allow the exploration of the aesthetic qualities of this genre. They preserve and promote intimacy, they show faces and lifestyles, while revealing new visual research.
The MusƩe d'Orsay collection is exceptional as it includes shots taken in artistic circles, sometimes by the artists themselves, that show the intimate side of famous people."
"Thanks to photography, a new genre of representation appeared at the end of the 19th century, testifying to family links of affection. It bloomed in the family albums the bourgeoisie and aristocracy prepared for their relatives. Often skilfully composed, these albums also allow the exploration of the aesthetic qualities of this genre. They preserve and promote intimacy, they show faces and lifestyles, while revealing new visual research.
The MusƩe d'Orsay collection is exceptional as it includes shots taken in artistic circles, sometimes by the artists themselves, that show the intimate side of famous people."
Saturday, January 03, 2004
Friday, January 02, 2004
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)