The law of gravity never gets old. We marvel at both feats that defy its nature (the jetting profile of a skyscraper, a tightrope walker dancing between the towers), and those resigned to it's power (a thunderous waterfall, the controlled fall of a skydiver).
The work of Nick Van Woert, a young sculptor out of Brooklyn, somehow merges the two actions through a process of inversions and paralyzed liquids. The objects are also unexpected given there traditional figurative beginnings. While I was immediately drawn to his bust work, the best example of objects that defy gravity in the act of submitting to it, Van Woert transcends any "one trick pony" label with a broad range of work and impeccable gallery presentation (an image from She Wolf below - more here). His work feels like a conscientious, modern extension of classical sculpture - taking on the timeless human figure with twenty-first century tools. Needless to say, the future looks bright for Nick Van Woert. I'll quiet down now and let the images speak for themselves.
Let the ADHD epidemic rage on! Girl Talk is back with another round of seizure inducing samples of all your favorite hits. This time he's not even giving you the option to pay. Visit the Illegal Art website to download as tracks or seamless play (the way he intended).
Joshua Tree, 1951 is the second film by Matthew Mishory to be featured on this site - the first film being an experimental short on the childhood of Derek Jarman. This time around Mishory takes on one of Hollywood's biggest icons, James Dean, and successfully charts a fresh path by focusing on his sexual orientation. In a recent article for IndieWire, Matthew talks about pulling the veil off Dean's image as the iconic heterosexual, white, Hollywood male. The trailer wastes no time shattering that image, opening on a gorgeous 16mm B&W tracking shot of Dean gliding through a smoky bar, his hand suggestively flirting with the shoulder of a male patron as he passes.
As Elvis Presley's "(You're The) Devil In Disguise" lets loose, a flood of picturesque snapshots paint the screen - showcasing both James Dean and Joshua Tree's stark desert landscape. While the film is shot primarily in B&W 16mm, burst of color show up sprinkled throughout the trailer. The contrast enhances both the richness of the black and white, and soothing stimulation of color film. The trailer introduces Dean's various intertwining relationships, but we'll have to wait for the film to find out what happens next.
Enter the Void fails in the same inevitable ways that any drug addled, grand, abstract and repetitive art film fall short; however, Gasper Noe does it in a fantastic style that won me over. The film's tackling of drug hallucinations, rebirth, out of body experience, Oedipus complex and Buddhist philosophy smell distinctly of stale pot smoke and Freshman dorms, but Enter the Void is commited to breaking right through the cliches. Noe's greatest achievements here is that he takes you on a drug trip that feels authentic. Oscar's (your) ghostly travels across the Tokyo skyline feel natural, and each trip down another wormhole (be it a lamp or a bullet hole) leaves you guessing as to where you're headed next. The film is far from perfect, but no film about such lofty subjects could be, so go enjoy the trip and take the philosophy with a grain of salt.
After you see it, check out an informative interview with Gasper at AV Club.
Zimoun has a unique understanding of amplification. He is able to create a sonic crescendo out of what would otherwise be a mundane raddle, clink or crackle. Zimoun's sound sculptures epitomize Aristotle's "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." A mic (pictured above) acts as a sonic x-ray for the unassuming log. It captures woodworms fulfilling their singular purpose, and broadcasts their meal on a macro scale. Moving beyond the wash of sound, the physical dimensions of the pieces are astounding in their own right - hypnotising machines of repetition.
Click HERE to download the mixWilliam Basinski - The Disintegration Loops D|P 1.1Ugly Casanova - Here’s To NowKanye West - PowerPanda Bear - TomboyCEO - IlluminataFlying Lotus - ….And the World Laughs With You (feat Thom Yorke)Noam Chomsky - Profits Before PeopleDirty Projectors - Gimmie, Gimmie, GimmieInterpol - Summer WellMenomena - TAOSDerrick Harriott - Let Me Down EasyWavves - Post AcidMitch Hedberg - I Hear MusicMajor Lazer + La Roux - Keep it FascinatingPrince Rama - Lightening FossilSufjan Stevens - HeirloomAnimal Collective - We TigersJJ - My Life (The Game cover)William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops D|P 1.1
Summer is over (despite what your weather app says), and all that crappy "light summer reading" is already forgotten. It's time to give your mind a steak dinner.
Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace - After DWF's death I began to ration the remaining work I had left to read. I only have a few essays left in this collection, and then I'll have to wait until April before the unfinished novel The Pale King is released. His literary prose is so crisp and distinct that it gives me chills to hear his now fallen voice resonate so clearly in this collection.
First As Tragedy, Then As Farce by Slavoj Zizek - Zizek dismisses his now famous "most dangerous living philosopher" label, but at least part of him smiles at the notion. His positions on politics, theory, charity and religion are heavily subversive and often leave the reader stranded without a lifeboat; however, it is precisely in that moment that he's done his job. For a quick spin around the Zizek universe watch this animated film.
The Echo Maker by Richard Powers - Powers shares the big brained Midwestern traits of DFW, but with more of a tech-nerd spin. Where DFW employs a casual style (in between the sea of obsessive footnotes), Powers is far more precise and (on his bad days) detached.
The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil - Ever wonder where technology is headed in the next 50 years? Ray Kurweil has and you might not like what he's found. The exponential progress of technology is poised to invade our biology and vault mankind into the next stage of evolution. Sound too much like T2 or The Matrix? Kurzweil assures us that we will still have "control" of our bodies, and even decide how far to accept technology into our bodies (for now).
The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman - There aren't a lot of graphic novels that start off with a Noam Chomsky quote. Nothing about this comic tows the company line, from subject matter to graphical layout - it all has that new car smell.
The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene - Learn about String Theory, Relativity and our Universe without an Astro-Physics degree.
The Cornel West Reader - Cornel West is a legendary thinker, speaker and personality. Sometimes his three piece suit and all that hair can cheapen his message, but none of that is present on the page. Topics covered: Progressive Marxism, Race and Difference, Art and Religion and the Left.
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard - The man that reshaped what it meant to be a businessman, chronicles his history and philosophy in this hybrid memoir/call to action. When I turned 16 I bought a Ford Bronco. When Yvon turned 16 he bought an anvil and became a blacksmith. Yeeeah.
"Society Must Be Defended" by Michael Foucault - Foucault's College de France lecture series (1970-1984) is a thing of legend. Every summer a packed lecture hall would sit and absorb whatever was on the forefront of Foucault's thought. His work focused on unearthing the power structures that dictate all our societal interactions. This series began by dismantling the very forum and dynamic of his own lecture series.
Once again Arcade Fire leap frog their peers, and release one of the best "music videos" I've seen in a while. The interactive film relies on one very important factor - that you put in your correct address and that your address has a google street view. I won't say anything more… visit the site to experience The Wilderness Downtown.
Our friends over at Launderette have started a great new series of video profiles, and their first subject was Shareen Vintage. Shareen owns a warehouse tucked away east of downtown, and it is filled to the brim with vintage and reworked dresses. There is a strict no boy policy - mostly due to the lack of dressing rooms, but it's sort of anti-treehouse rules - and girls have embraced the adventure and hunt. Launderette captures the mood and mission statement of the shop perfectly. Can't wait to see where they go next!
