Monday, June 29, 2009

Yeah Baby

Stranger & Patsy... Yeah Baby (1964, Island WI 152 .mp3 audio 03:04). Stranger Cole and Patsy Todd - with Baba Brooks.

Negatives Are To Be Stored

Lens Culture... Negatives Are To Be Stored - photographs by Stefania Gurdowa. "...Eleven years ago, in the attic of a tenement house in the town of Debica, more than 1,000 damaged glass negative plates were discovered. Most of them depicted expressive portraits of anonymous individuals who lived in the neighborhood during the 20s and 30s." More... Works by Stefania Gurdowa at her personal site.

Roma (Gypsy) Interiors

Carlo Gianferro... Roma (Gypsy) Interiors. "...Gypsy Interiors"is a series of portraits capturing the private world of these outwardly loud, vivacious people. Here he finds a rich and profound intimacy, hidden but exhibited among antique furniture, tapestries, paintings, religious images, china, staircases and mirrors, set into large rooms or sometimes minimized in empty spaces waiting to be filled. Images of women sitting on elegant sofas or portrayed during intimate family moments, young people lounging on beds in their luxurious rooms, elders immortalized amongst their mementoes, proud faces of parents admiring their children." From Carlo Gianferro Photography.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Great Atomic Power

Great Atomic Power The Louvin Brothers... Great Atomic Power (1952, MGM K-11277 .mp3 audio 02:48).

Grace Weston Photography

Grace Weston Photography - Staged Vignettes and Photo Illustration.

Recent Acquisitions (And Some Thoughts on the Current Ark Market)

John Kane... John Kane and His Wife (Ca. 1928, Oil on canvas). From the exhibition Recent Acquisitions (And Some Thoughts on the Current Ark Market), July 7 - October 10, 2009 at Galerie St. Etienne in New York, NY. "...The Galerie St. Etienne is extremely fortunate in this year’s selection of 'Recent Acquisitions,' which include a great many works of extraordinarily high quality. We have been entrusted with the sale of a major Expressionist collection, assembled by an unusually astute buyer at a time, in the 1970s and ‘80s, when top-flight material was still readily available. Featured in our recent exhibition From Brücke to Bauhaus, this collection includes pastels and drawings by E.L. Kirchner, stunning watercolors by Lyonel Feininger, early graphics by Erich Heckel, Otto Mueller, Emil Nolde and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and much, much more. We also have available a number of strong German works from the Weimar period, including several seminal self-portraits by Max Beckmann, two exceptional Dada-inflected woodcuts by Otto Dix and a large group of George Grosz drawings."

Friday, June 26, 2009

Evil Hoodoo

Evil Hoodoo The Seeds... Evil Hoodoo (.mp3 audio 05:19). From the album The Seeds (1966, GNP Crescendo GNP 2023). RIP: Sky Saxon.

Georgy Girl

Ed McMahon... Georgy Girl (.mp3 audio 02:17). From the album And Me...I'm Ed McMahon (1967, Cameo C2009) at Probe is Turning-on the People!

Manitowoc-Two Rivers History Showcased

Manitowoc-Two Rivers History Showcased at the WHS. "...The Manitowoc and Two Rivers gallery of images captures more than 150 years of life in these two cities. Factories, ships and railroads are all preserved in these images. Most importantly, they depict life on the lakeshore where various cultures merged to create two unique communities proud of their heritage.
Originally settled by a mixture of Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Menomonee and Ojibwe tribes, the lakeshore community of Manitowoc was given its name by these first inhabitants. In the Algonquin languages, "Manitou" means spirit; therefore, Manitowoc became the place of the good spirit. Manitowoc's neighbor to the north, Two Rivers, earned its moniker in acknowledgement of the two rivers that flow through the community — the East and West Twin Rivers. The photographs in this collection follow the growth of these two cities whose histories were shaped by their place alongside Lake Michigan.

Purpose 3 - l'Afrique vue par ses photographes

Purpose 3 (Autumn 2006) - l'Afrique vue par ses photographes. "...Malick Sidibé - Le photographe doit être gai | Sidi M. Sidibé - Modèles | Gabriel Fasunon - Le monde de Jebba | Paul Kabré - J'ai vécu avec les Gãeemsés | James Koblah Bruce Vanderpuije - Accra, Gold Coast, années 1930 | Photographes ambulants - Togo • Bénin • Nigeria | Guy Hersant - Le sens du lien."

Magnum Photos

Magnum Photos at Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Works by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Bruce Davidson, Thomas Dworzak, Elliott Erwitt, Paul Fusco, Constantine Manos, Susan Meiselas, Steve McCurry, Eli Reed, and Alex Webb.

Blue Boy | Blue Doll

Jim Reeves... Blue Boy (1958, RCA Victor 47-7266 .mp3 audio 02:12). Also... Anita Carter - Blue Doll (Flash Video 02:14) which I posted a PCL LinkDump yesterday.

For MJ

For MJ... Shinehead... Billie Jean (1984, ALM 7005 .mp3 audio 03:02) and... Mama Used To Say (1984, ALM 7009 .mp3 audio 02:50). From April 09.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

When The Levee Breaks

When The Levee Breaks Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie... When The Levee Breaks (1929, Columbia 14439-D .mp3 audio 03:12).

Palomar: Experimental Photography

Palomar: Experimental Photography - works by Phil Chang, Talia Chetrit, Tamar Halpern, Nancy De Holl, Mariah Robertson, and Asha Schechter at Marvelli Gallery. "...These artists use ink-jet prints, digital c-prints, re-photographed magazines and newspapers, as well as other means of photomechanical reproduction. The resulting work always feels individually created and never succumbs to the power of technical sophistication. Some artists manipulate their images in the darkroom process (solarization, ambrotype, photograms, multiple exposures, etc.) without the use of a computer, while others almost bypass the photographic process altogether (scanning objects and found images). They push the boundaries, limits and modality of photography."

Brian Ulrich: Thrift and Dark Stores

Brian Ulrich: Thrift and Dark Stores at Julie Saul Gallery in New York, NY. "...Thrift and Dark Stores is a continuation of his larger project, Copia, a long-term photographic examination of the complexities of the consumer-dominated culture in which we live. His prescient insight into post 9-11 consumerism boom has awarded him a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship.
Ulrich began his Copia series after 9/11 when President Bush encouraged Americans to shop as a patriotic gesture to boost the economy. He pictured the abundant merchandise in stores and shoppers' fascination with the goods. As the decade progressed Ulrich has enlarged his theme to embrace thrift stores and finally the new landscape of closed and derelict malls and big box stores. Ulrich's image Madison, Wisconsin 2005 of a retail space filled with empty hangers signals the end of a cycle, and is pictured on the cover of the May 2009 issue of Photograph with an essay by Lyle Rexer who writes, 'Ulrich reveals the chaotic ass-end of capitalism'. Thrift looks at the 'last-stop repositories' where goods are sent to die at even more discounted prices. These chaotic dumping grounds of discarded computers and gym shoes raise the question, 'where do we go from here?' At the same time the Dark Stores have an almost apocalyptic quality signally and end a new beginning." More... Works by Brian Ulrich at his personal site.

Food, Inc.

Trailer (QuickTime Video) for Food, Inc. "...producer-director Robert Kenner and investigative authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) lift the veil off of the food industry – an industry that has often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihoods of American farmers, the safety of workers and our own environment."

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

River Deep - Mountain High

River Deep - Mountain High Ike & Tina Turner... River Deep - Mountain High (1966, Philles 131 .mp3 audio 03:40). Produced by Phil Spector, cover art by actor Dennis Hooper.

Daniel Mirer: In The Finest Tradition

Daniel Mirer: In The Finest Tradition. "...In his previous series, Architorspace, the artist sought to expose the banality of modernist architectural spaces. In this series, he applies the structural principles of his architectural images to portraiture and the results are captivating. The subjects become extensions of the space itself, lending a specific geometry to the finished work. And the choice of subjects is also interesting; they are all male archetypes, most exhibiting extremely masculine behavior and career choices, such as military men, cowboys, police, etc."

Weegee Speaks

Weegee Speaks from the album Famous Photographers Tell How (1958) at Boogie Woogie Flu. "...I will walk many times with friends down the street and they'll say 'Hey, Weegee. Here's a drunk or two drunks laying on the gutter' I take one quick look at that and say 'They lack character.' So, even a drunk must be a masterpiece!" Via PCL LinkDump. Also... The Imp-Probable Mr. Wee Gee - the 1966 nudie comedy starring famed crime photographer Weegee.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Stephanie Chernikowski: Images from the Blank Generation

Downstate Illinois

Our Lady of the Groceries Our Lady of the Groceries, La Mexicana Grocery, Bloomington, Illinois. From Downstate Illinois at Interesting Ideas. "...You can't beat a region that boasts a House of Stuff!"

Lung S. Liu: Muay Thai Culture

Lung S. Liu... Muay Thai Culture. "...There are countless Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) camps all over Thailand. It is impossible to visit them all and so I chose to show a small part of it — mere glimpses into the lives of these fighters. They are trained at an early age under a regimen so brutal that their bodies are rarely able to sustain careers past their twenties. And yet, despite what this life demands of them, they continue to fight — on the most basic of levels — for survival. They do it for the body, which is to be fed and sheltered, and they do it for the spirit, which is to be noticed and adored, the attainment of their dreams and desires." From Lung S. Liu.

An Enduring Friendship, Ansel Adams & Georgia O'Keeffe

An Enduring Friendship, Ansel Adams & Georgia O'Keeffe at Scott Nichols Gallery in San Francisco, CA. "...Photographs by Ansel Adams, Morley Baer, Horace Bristol, Paul Caponigro, William Clift, Imogen Cunningham, Philippe Halsman, Lotte Jacobi, Yousuf Karsh, Mark Klett, Arnold Newman, Eliot Porter, Alan Ross, Paul Strand, Todd Webb, and Brett Weston.
Ansel Adams (1902–1984) and Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) shared a fifty-year friendship and a mutual love of the Southwest. Both were drawn to the magical and inspirational landscape; the dramatic, big skies, unusual rock formations, and the extraordinary light of the region."

Napoleon III and Paris

Louis-Emile Durandelle... The New Paris Opera (Ornamental Sculpture) (1865–72, Albumen silver print from glass negative). From Napoleon III and Paris at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "...This dossier photography exhibition will focus on the changing shape of Paris during the Second Empire, when the city’s narrow streets and medieval buildings gave way to the broad boulevards and grand public works that still define the urban landscape of the French capital."

Iata Cannabrava: The Other City

Iatã Cannabrava: The Other City - 28 color photographs at Zone Zero. "...The images presented were produced between the years 2000 and 2008 in the photographer's walks through the outskirts of Latin America Cities. The process is much more closer to a poetic and political chronic than to the traditional report of poverty and misery, so common to the eyes of contemporary photography. Using colored photography for support, the project intends to be the portrait of 'another' city, that looks nothing like the Cities we think we know." Also... More works by Iatã Cannabrava. (br)

Monday, June 22, 2009

Can't Keep A Good Man/Dub Down

Can't Keep A Good Man Down The Immortals... Can't Keep A Good Man Down (.mp3 audio 02:52) b/w Pablo All Stars... Can't Keep A Good Dub Down (.mp3 audio 03:18). 1977, Rockers International.

Jonathan Monk: The Inflated Deflated

Jonathan Monk: The Inflated Deflated at Casey Kaplan Gallery in New York, NY. "...In the late 1980’s, while Jonathan Monk began art school in Glasgow, Scotland, Jeff Koons created a highly polished stainless steel cast of an inflated, plastic bunny shaped balloon, entitled 'Rabbit', 1986. The sculpture debuted that
same year in the seminal Group Show at the Ileana Sonnabend Gallery in New York. 'Rabbit' has become an icon of its era. Utilizing a similar inflatable, carrot carrying, plastic toy bunny as a starting point, Monk presents his own version of Koons’ infamous work in five different poses. Monk’s stainless steel bunnies capture five frozen moments of silent, animated, slow deflation. With each dissipation of air, the mirrored bunny droops, folds, and gently falls from a standing position to a reclined figure. If seen as a sequence, the sculpture ultimately comes to rest in a low, undulating heap of metal, recalling one of Henry Moore’s classic bronze reclining nudes."

Albert Chong: Thrones

Albert Chong... Throne with spirit Box (1991, Gelatin silver print). From Thrones - Photographs of Chairs that have been altered or embellished and used as a site for offerings, veneration magic and mystical amplification - by Albert Chong.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Red Blood

Vin Gordon... Red Blood (.mp3 audio 03:19). From the album Studio One Scorcher Instrumentals (2002, Soul Jazz SJR CD 67).

Old .44

Old .44 at the Afflicted Yard.

Anatomical Theatre: Depictions of the Body, Disease, and Death in Medical Museums of the Western World

Anatomical Theatre: Depictions of the Body, Disease, and Death in Medical Museums of the Western World. "...a photographic exhibition documenting artifacts collected by and exhibited in medical museums throughout Europe and the United States. The objects in these photos range from preserved human remains to models made from ivory, wax, and papier mâché. The artifacts span from the 16th Century to the 20th, and include examples from a wide range of countries, artists, and preparators."

Soviet Poster Collection - Swarthmore College Peace Collection

Soviet Poster Collection - Swarthmore College Peace Collection. "... Frank W. Fetter (Swarthmore College Class of 1920) acquired a series of posters during his visit to the Soviet Union in the early 1930s. In 1932 Ellen Starr Brinton, the first Curator of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, led a study group of members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom to the Soviet Union. In Moscow authorities permitted her to select a number of posters from a repository. E. Raymond Wilson, Quaker activist and Washington lobbyist, also visited the Soviet Union in this period and later donated the posters he had gathered during his trip.
These one hundred rare propaganda posters fall into two main categories. Approximately half cover child and maternal health, and offer a rare glimpse into the efforts of the early Soviet regime to promote the proper care of infants and toddlers. The remaining posters date from the period of the first five-year plan (1928-1932) and focus not only on the goals and accomplishments of collectivization and industrialization, but also on the class enemies of the Soviet Union, namely the Russian Orthodox church and the clergy, kulaks, capitalists, and foreign powers seeking to sabotage the communist effort to build socialism."

Friday, June 19, 2009

Action Woman

Action Woman The Litter... Action Woman (.mp3 audio 02:31). From the album Distortions (1967, Warick WM-671-A).

Mark Kessell: To Be Determined

Mark Kessell: To Be Determined. "...In the absence of (at least) 90% of the sensory stimulation available to sighted children, blind children still develop a strong sense of identity.
These children cannot look at themselves in a mirror, cannot see the faces of their parents, siblings, or peers, and are unable to compare their own appearance with others. They are unaffected by the powerful visual influences of television, film or advertising which pervade the culture to which sighted children are exposed." From Studiocyberia - works by Mark Kessell.

Brad Carlile: Tempus Incognitus

Brad Carlile: Tempus Incognitus. "...Tempus Incognitus shows the day's liminal times concurrently existing. These images show rented rooms and rooms under construction that simultaneously contain moments from the past and present. The intense colors created by this time-intensive non-digital technique and the lone and cropped perspectives create an emotional tension. The interiors are locked in space with no clear sense of time." From Brad Carlile Photography.

Works by Chantal Joffe

Works by Chantal Joffe at Cheim & Read. "...Born in 1969, Chantal Joffe studied at Glasgow School of Art and in 1994 received her master's degree from the Royal College of Art, London. Associated with the second (and more paint-focused) wave of young British artists, Joffe works mostly from secondary source material—magazine ads, fashion spreads, snapshots. Her painting style, fluid and loose, is simultaneously bold and distinctive; as she has stated, 'I don't like the lack of commitment to a mark.' In the tradition of Alice Neel, Joffe's unsentimental portraits, mostly of women and children, convey an emotional and psychological intensity, belying the objectification of her subject."

Chinese Paintings from the Kingdom of Min

Chinese Paintings from the Kingdom of Min at Duke University. "...In this age of global markets and interdisciplinary research, an appreciation of the customs and culture of another country is as essential as knowledge of its language, science, and economics. This exhibit of paintings and calligraphy offers a sample of China’s art and its history, as revealed in the story of the independent Kingdom of Min, now called Fujian. The works on display are from the collection of Professor and Mrs. Paul Wang, who care passionately about sharing the art of China with others. Professor Wang was born in Fujian, China; he came to Duke in 1968 to join the faculty of the School of Engineering."

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Girl In The Sweater

The Girl In The Sweater The Hard-Ons... The Girl In The Sweater (1986, Waterfront Records DAMP 27 .mp3 audio 02:44). For readers from OZ.

KS Rives: After India

KS Rives: After India at Billy Shire Fine Arts. More... Works by KS Rives at his personal site.

Michael Kenna: Recent Travels

Michael Kenna: Recent Travels at Charles A. Hartman Fine Art. "...Sparse, calm and embodying a zen-like openness, Kenna’s photographic works are often the result of long exposures that accumulate light in a manner unattainable to the human eye. It is typical for him to work on numerous photographic projects simultaneously - landscapes, seascapes, urban and industrial studies - dividing his time amongst multiple locations as inspiration strikes. The artist’s insistence to use traditional cameras and to maintain his long-time darkroom practice using silver materials continues the contemplative process. Long after Kenna has left the site as subject, it reemerges via his patience, manipulation of light and intention to transform the material into a perception of a place in time."

Rzeczy (Things)

Lens Culture... Rzeczy (Things) - photographs by Andrzej Kramarz, text by Dariusz Czaja. "...he displays are arranged on the ground, on newspapers, cartons, strips of foil, and sheets of various colours. The objects are densely packed into the displays, lying one on top of the other, as if following the trends of horror vacui seen in folk art.
The items are for the most part old, obsolete, sometimes defunct, tacky, and of little worth, if any. Just some used and worn-out trash, desolate objects which look as if they've been pulled out of a dumpster and displayed only in pieces. In a word: that, which is left of a previous life; that, which used to live, now leads a life after life, sometimes an imagined existence. The lens of the photographer dives into this trivial space dimension with a definite fascination, and records with sensitivity these fragile remainders of daily life, searching for traces of their (non)existence."

The Power of the Peep

Teaser (QuickTime Video) for The Power of the Peep.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Please Stop Your Crying

Larry & The Cables... Please Stop Your Crying (.mp3 audio 03:06). From the album A Scorcha from Bamboo (1969, Bamboo BLP 202).

Ubu Gallery at Art│40│Basel

La Poupée Hans Bellmer... La Poupée or La Bouche (1936, printed 1949 or earlier, Hand-colored vintage gelatin silver print, 5 5/8 x 5 3/4 inches, Signed in white gouache on recto). From Ubu Gallery at Art│40│Basel. Works by Hans Arp, Julian Beck, Hans Bellmer, Étienne Béothy, Victor Brauner, Janusz Maria Brzeski, Claude Cahun, Paul Citroen, René Clair, Jean Crotti, Marcel Duchamp, Oskar Fischer, Sam Francis, Carl Grossberg, George Grosz, Hannah Höch, Hubert Hoffmann, Otto Hofmann, André Kertész, Konrad Klapheck, René Magritte, Marcel Marien, Johannes Molzahn, Georg Muche, Richard Oelze, Georges Papazoff, Anton Räderscheidt, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, Thomas Ring, August Sander, Kurt Schwitters, Franz Seiwert, Joseph Stella, Jindřich Štyrský, Sophie Taueber-Arp, Yves Tanguy, Raoul Ubac, Victor Vasarely, Jacques Villeglé, and Unica Zürn.

Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan: Naval Diplomat and Collector

Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan: Naval Diplomat and Collector. "...A display of the little-known coin collection of Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who famously opened up Japan to the West in 1854. Perry’s varied collection spans Ancient Greece to the modern world, and provides a tangible link with this bold and significant historical figure."

Stephanie Valentin: Earthbound

Stephanie Valentin: Earthbound at Stills Gallery in Paddington NSW, Australia. "...Earthbound continues Stephanie Valentin’s interest in the human imprint on the natural world. To create this series Valentin returned to the area in which she grew up - the semi-arid mallee on the eastern edge of South Australia. Through the interplay of still lives and landscape, Valentin explores our uncertain relationship to the earth’s processes. In the ambiguous light between dusk and full moon, her compositions serve as open-ended experiments, raising questions rather than delivering answers."

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Ride Me Donkey

Ride Me Donkey Dobby Dobson... Ride Me Donkey (.mp3 audio 02:02) - Roy & Enid... He'll Have To Go (.mp3 audio 03:09) - The Westmorelites... Miss Hite-Tite (.mp3 audio 02:27). From the album Ride Me Donkey - Solid Gold From Jamaica (1968, Coxsone CSL 001A).

Mammoth Plate Photographs of the North American West

Mammoth Plate Photographs of the North American West - Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. "...The photographs in this collection were chiefly created by American photographers Carleton E. Watkins (1829-1916) and William Henry Jackson (1843-1942), and the images document various locations in the American West. Photographs by Watkins consist of images created in the states of California and Oregon, and in Arizona, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming Territories, circa 1874-1890. Most of the images created by William Henry Jackson depict locations and geological features in Colorado, while other images show locations in Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, and Oregon, 1878-1898."

David Rathman: Against a Crooked Sky

David Rathman: Against a Crooked Sky at Larissa Goldston Gallery. "...In this exhibition, Rathman revisits the culture and mythology of the Old West and spaghetti westerns produced in the 1960s and 1970s. Populated by familiar characters - sheriffs, frontiersmen, villains, and the women who love them - the work imparts a longing for a world of absolutes. A world where, as Rathman puts it, 'bad guys get punished and dispatched, and resolution comes quick and hard.'"

I Hear You Knocking

George Liberace... I Hear You Knocking (.mp3 audio 01:54). From the album George Liberace Goes Teenage (1957, Imperial 9039) at Probe is Turning-on the People!

In the Shadow of the Sun

In the Shadow of the Sun (1980) - A Derek Jarman film with music by Throbbing Gristle at UbuWeb Film & Video. "...Derek Jarman used some of his 70s home movie footage to produce this wonderful piece of exploitational avantgarde cinema. Actually the original material has been slowed down to a speed of 3-6 frames, then Jarman added colour effects and the pulsating, menacing score by Industrial supergroup Throbbing Gristle."

Monday, June 15, 2009

Going All The Way

Going All The Way The Squires... Going All The Way (1966, ATCO 6442 .mp3 audio 02:22).

Tod Papageorge: American Sports, 1970 or, How We Spent the War in Vietnam

Tod Papageorge: American Sports, 1970 or, How We Spent the War in Vietnam at Pace|McGill Gallery. "...Papageorge's ability to distill concise and coherent images from the dense visual weave of passing events - a skill he honed during the late 1960s by photographing nearly every day on the streets of Manhattan - is particularly evident in this body of work. With his wide-angle lens, he not only documents where and how a series of archetypal games was played out, but also reveals their compelling relationship to the world-at-large in images that, subtly but palpably, expose the unsettled American spirit at a critical moment in its history."

Socialist Ex libris

Socialist Ex libris. "...Presentation of a dozen bookplates from the Dutch labour movement from the period 1905-1940. Different styles may be discerned, from Jugendstil to New Objectivity."

Artists' Book Collection

Artists' Book Collection at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. "...Whether it be for scholarship or pleasure, explore this collection of visually striking and finely crafted books made by more than 150 artists and presses from around the world. The collection is an illustrated, descriptive index to the Artists’ Book Collection, located in the Kohler Art Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison. It features limited edition, one-of-a-kind, and offset books, representative of major book artists working during the past thirty years, including many who trained in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Art Department."

Throne Of Blood

Throne Of Blood Trailer (Flash Video 03:43) and Review of Throne of Blood (Kumonosu-jo, 1957, directed by Akira Kurosawa) at Nippon Cinema. "...In 1956, director Akira Kurosawa started work on his own Japanese adaptation of Shakespeare’s 'Macbeth'. In keeping with the original stage feel of the play, Kurosawa presented it with elements of traditional Noh musical stage dramas—complete with characters whose faces closely resemble Noh masks—while still basically sticking to his film roots and accomplishing special effects that could never be pulled off in a stage production. Those familiar with Macbeth will easily recognize the parallels between stories, with the major tweaks coming simply to convert a story about the Scottish monarchy to one set in Japan’s Warring States Period. In the end you basically have an adaptation of one of the best plays in history directed by one of the greatest filmmakers in history. Sounds pretty good, right? Correct."

Haruto Hoshi

Haruto Hoshi at Japan Exposures.

Trailer for Banksy Versus The Bristol Museum

Sunday, June 14, 2009

You're Wondering Now

You're Wondering Now The Specials... You're Wondering Now (.mp3 audio 02:39). From the album The Specials (1979, 2 Tone CDL TT 5001). For SMT.

Gerald Förster Photography Portfolio

INVADER Video — Top 10

INVADER Video — Top 10 at Jonathan LeVine Gallery. "...created specifically for our upcoming solo INVADER exhibition, later this month. Time-lapse footage reveals the geometric complexity of of the artist's incredible process in creating his trademark Rubickubism pieces featured in the show, and will be projected into the gallery space during the exhibition."

Comerchina: Huang Rui Solo Show

Comerchina: Huang Rui Solo Show at Chinese Contemporary’s Beijing gallery in Factory 798. "...For the exhibition, the artist has created 27 silk-screened canvases which placed together resemble a massive, five and a half meter Renminbi note. By referring to currency, Huang Rui calls into question the Chinese contemporary art market. When collectively mounted on a wall, the set of canvases are publicly raised to the level of high art. When broken apart, however, the works revert to their original form – objects to be bartered and sold, a form of artistic currency in itself."

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Winey Winey | Napoleon Solo

Napoleon Solo Lyn Taitt & The Jets... Winey Winey (.mp3 audio 02:22) and... Napoleon Solo (.mp3 audio 02:32). From the album Sounds Rock Steady (1968, Island Records ILP 969).

Oscar's Sketchbook

Oscar's Sketchbook at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra. "...When staff from the National Museum of Australia began cataloguing its collections in the early 1980s, they came across a cardboard box containing items once owned by the Institute of Anatomy. At the bottom of this box lay an old exercise book labelled 'Drawn by Oscar'.
The sketches found inside were depictions of a young Aboriginal man's memories of growing up in far north Queensland. Oscar's pencil drawings depict a variety of scenes from traditional ceremonies to interactions with Europeans, to places he visited in the surrounding area − a rare record of life in the late 1800s from an Aboriginal person's perspective.
Property manager and Oscar's overseer, Augustus Henry Glissan, gave Oscar the exercise book in 1898. Glissan also wrote an index interpreting the drawings and sent the completed book, with an accompanying letter, to Dr Charles Bage in 1899."

Right Through the Very Heart of It

Right Through the Very Heart of It at Robert Mann Gallery. "...Right Through the Very Heart of It contrasts the icons and idiosyncrasies of New York, from the 'vagabond shoes' to the 'top of the heap,' captured by some of the greatest photographers to roam these concrete streets.
Many of the medium's greatest innovators have made their name photographing the denizens and architecture that define our dear city. But such a diverse environment necessitates representing the grit as much as the glamour. In particular the exhibition will highlight sweeping vistas, architectural studies, street photography and street portraiture.
Photographers include Berenice Abbott, Gail Albert Halaban, Diane Arbus, Ellen Auerbach, Jimi Billingsley, Wijnanda Deroo, Michael Kenna, Abelardo Morell, Lisette Model, Leo Rubinfien, Aaron Siskind, Alfred Stieglitz, David Vestal, Weegee, and Dan Weiner."

Christer Strömholm Fotograf

Christer Strömholm... Tokyo 1963. From Christer Strömholm Fotograf - The official homepage of photographer Christer Strömholm.

Private SNAFU - Booby Traps

Private SNAFU - Booby Traps (1944, directed by Robert Clampett). "...Private Snafu learns about the hazards of enemy booby traps the hard way. This is one of 26 Private SNAFU (Situation Normal, All Fouled Up) cartoons made by the US Army Signal Corps to educate and boost the morale of the troops. Originally created by Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and Phil Eastman, most of the cartoons were produced by Warner Brothers Animation Studios - employing their animators, voice actors (primarily Mel Blanc) and Carl Stalling's music."

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Full Dose Of Dub | Heavy Duty Dub

Full Dose Of Dub Harry Mudie... Full Dose Of Dub (.mp3 audio 03:14) and... Heavy Duty Dub (.mp3 audio 03:02). From the album Harry Mudie Meet King Tubby's In Dub Conference Volume One (1976, Moodisc HM 108). One of the best dub albums of all time.

Water, Earth, Sky: Photographs of Japan by Rolfe Horn

Water, Earth, Sky: Photographs of Japan by Rolfe Horn at Soulcatcher Studio. "...the first exhibition of a dynamic, new body of work by Rolfe Horn. Horn spent October and November 2008 traveling throughout Japan, a country that he has visited several times before; a country very close to his heart. Horn is one of the most promising talents to emerge in the field of fine art photography in recent years. Horn seeks to create a new style of visual storytelling, rather than simply copy the traditional views of Western landscape masters of the past." More... Works by Rolfe Horn at his personal site.

Asian Journeys: Collecting Art in Post-war America

Asian Journeys: Collecting Art in Post-war America at the Asia Society. "...This exhibition explores the socio-political context for the American collecting of Asian Art in the post–World War II period with a particular focus on the collecting practice of John D. Rockefeller 3rd (1906–1978) and his wife Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller (1909–1992).
John D. Rockefeller 3rd, founder of Asia Society and son of collectors John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, played an instrumental role in fostering cultural understanding and cooperation between Asia and America during this period. After the war, he became involved in the international politics of Asia with his work for the 1951 peace mission to Japan. Two years later he established the Council on Economic and Cultural Affairs, Inc. (CECA), an organization created to stimulate and support international economic and related activities with a focus on Asia. His work in Asia led to extensive travels and the formation of strong friendships throughout the region. John D. Rockefeller 3rd and Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller hoped that through their support of Asian art and culture they would have a direct impact on international relations, ultimately improving understanding between the citizens of the Unites States and Asia."

Trailer for Kuki Ningyo

Trailer for Kuki Ningyo (Air Doll, Flash Video 01:57) at Nippon Cinema. "...A life-size air doll (Doona Bae) is kept in the retro apartment of Hideo (Itsuji Itao), but over time she develops a soul of her own. One day she cheerfully fixes up her outfit and decides to enjoy a walk outside alone. She eventually meets a video store clerk named Junichi (Arata) and secretly falls in love. She hatches a plan to get a part-time job in the store alongside him, but an unexpected turn of events throws her fragile existence into turmoil. Through her subsequent journey of self-discovery she explores what it really means to be human."

In The Year 2000!!!

Lucia Pamela... In The Year 2000!!! (.mp3 audio 01:38). From the album Into Outer Space With Lucia Pamela (1969, Gulfstream).

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Hong Kong Flu

Hong Kong Flu The Ethiopians... Hong Kong Flu (1969, Sir JJ .mp3 audio 02:18).

Todd Eberle: America

Todd Eberle... E & P Food Store, Birmingham, Alabama, May 20, 1998 (1998, Digital C-Print). From the exhibition Todd Eberle: America at Light & Sie Gallery in Dallas, TX. "...Known for turning his lens toward the subjects of art and architecture, Eberle gives us a glimpse of the disparate images that make up the immense cultural landscape of America, united by a certain minimalist aesthetic that runs through all of the artist’s work. Whether the tone of his work is earnest or kitsch, a gnarled American flag that evokes a flower or reducing the Vegas strip to something analogous to an architectural model, Eberle approaches his photographs with a similar sense of control, symmetry and proportion that defines his work." More... Works by Todd Eberle at his personal site.

John Wood: On the Edge of Clear Meaning

John Wood: On the Edge of Clear Meaning at Grey Art Gallery, NYU. "...John Wood (born 1922) has consistently challenged traditional photography, often incorporating painting, drawing, and collage as well as cliché verre, solarization, and offset lithography. The artist emphasizes the role of drawing in his work: 'Mark making, calligraphy, the kinetic motion of the movement of the hand, are very important to me; probably more important than anything else.' Transgressing the boundaries of 'pure photography,' his eclectic practice has helped usher in alternative approaches to the medium. With their adroit manipulations of picture and text, his diaristic, multi-media compositions anticipate today’s digital imagery. On the Edge of Clear Meaning is Wood’s first museum retrospective, spanning his career from the early 1960s to the present."

Chosen Gakkou | Mito Rope Way

Chosen Gakkou - an abandoned Korean School - and... Mito Rope Way. From the wonderful Rusty Garden - one of the best in abandoned Japan. (jp)

Downtown Deco

Downtown Deco at Interesting Ideas. "...Lower Manhattan is a carnival of art deco details."

Steina and Woody Vasulka

Steina and Woody Vasulka at UbuWeb Film & Video. "...Steina and Woody Vasulka are major figures in video history, technical pioneers who have contributed enormously to the evolution of the medium and who continue to be major practitioners of video as art. The Vasulkas' technological investigations into analog and digital processes and their development of electronic imaging tools, which began in the early 1970s, place them among the primary architects of an expressive electronic vocabulary of image-making. Applying an informal, real-time spontaneity to their formalist, often didactic technical research, they chart the evolving formulation of a grammar and syntax of electronic imaging as they articulate a processual dialogue between artist and technology."

Monday, June 08, 2009

Fatty Fatty (X-Rated Version)

Fatty Fatty (X-Rated Version) Clancy Eccles... Fatty Fatty (X-Rated Version) (1969 .mp3 audio 05:31). Found on the album Feel The Rhythm (1997, Jamaican Gold JMC 200235).

The Ronald G. Becker Collection of Charles Eisenmann Photographs

The Ronald G. Becker Collection of Charles Eisenmann Photographs at Syracuse University. "...The Ronald G. Becker Collection of Charles Eisenmann photographs includes the work of Eisenmann, Frank Wendt, and others specialized in creating and marketing photographs of circus sideshow and dime museum performers in New York City during the latter part of the 19th century.
Eisenmann was born in Germany in 1850 and emigrated to the United States some time before 1870, settling in New York City. At an early age, Eisenmann established a photography studio in the Bowery. A lower class area that was the hub of popular entertainment, the Bowery was known for its cheap photographic galleries and dime museums. Here Eisenmann discovered his clientele. Dime museums were modeled on P.T. Barnum's American Museum on Broadway which exhibited various human 'curiosities' as well as many unusual and questionable "scientific" exhibits. Similar in many respects to the circus sideshows, these museums featured human "freaks" who displayed their odd physiognomies and performed before gawking visitors. To help these performers market themselves, Eisenmann and his successor Frank Wendt supplied them with small photographs that they could sell or distribute to publicists. Precisely why Eisenmann was drawn to and focused on this peculiar clientele is not known, though there was evidently money to be made, as other photographers followed him into the business."

Iowa Women's Scrapbooks Digital Collection

Iowa Women's Scrapbooks Digital Collection. "...Scrapbook making, a common pastime for girls and women during the first half of the 20th century, developed from two parallel trends: technological advances in printing, publishing and photography that made available an unprecedented abundance of words and images; and societal change that allowed more women to leave the private sphere and pursue opportunities in education and the workforce that had previously been restricted to men. With more events to document and more ways to document them, women compiled and arranged photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings and other ephemera into scrapbooks or “memory books” -- unique collections reflecting their creator's sense of self."

Sunday, June 07, 2009

RIP: Shek Kin

Shek Kin Kung Fu Cinema... Martial arts actor Shek Kin dead at 96. "...Hong Kong has lost one of its greatest and longest living film treasures. Veteran martial arts actor Shek Kin (aka Shih Kien, Sek Kin), best known internationally for his role in Enter The Dragon as 'Mr. Han,' died this morning at the venerable age of 96." Also... Cliff Lok vs Shek Kin - The Roaring Lion, 1972 (Flash Video 08:01).

Hector Emanuel: Republic of Lakotah

Hector Emanuel: Republic of Lakotah - 20 b/w photographs at Still Dancing. "...Pine Ridge is home to Wounded Knee, where in 1890 three hundred men, women and children were massacred by the US 7th Calvary as they were being transported to the reservation.
Life in Pine Ridge is hard.
It is the poorest Indian reservation in the United States, with an unemployment of about 80% and almost half of its residents live below the poverty line.
Both the infant mortality and alcoholism rates are the highest in the country, while the life expectancy is the lowest (52 for women and 48 for men). Many lack basic services such as running water, sewer, transportation, telephone, and the lack of health care is among the worst in the country." More Works by Hector Emanuel at his personal site.

Zisis Kardianos Photography

Sunshine & Noir

Sunshine & Noir - Holga Photographs of Los Angeles and New York by Thomas Michael Alleman.

Salt Water Tears

Lens Culture... Salt Water Tears - photography by Munem Wasif text by Francis Hodgson. "...Nobody knows certainly why the water levels are changing in the Bay of Bengal, but they are. In a famously low-lying country, more and more people are under threat of catastrophic flooding. Coastal erosion, too, is accelerating, a matter of grave concern in a country where (under the pressure of population) every inch of usable land is at a premium."

Trouble

Cat Stevens... Trouble (.mp3 audio 02:47). From the album Mona Bone Jakon (1970, A&M Records SP-4260).

Thursday, June 04, 2009

20 Years Ago

How Can I Get Over

The Chantells... How Can I Get Over (1970's, produced by Sonia Pottinger .mp3 audio 03:02). From the album The Reggae Train (More Great Hits From The High Note Label) (1996, Heartbeat CDHB 174). Simply brilliant!

The Films of Harry Dodge and Stanya Kahn, 2002-2008

The Films of Harry Dodge and Stanya Kahn, 2002-2008 at UbuWeb Film & Video. "...The collaboration of Harry Dodge and Stanya Kahn has produced an exciting series of character-driven videos whose protagonists are, above all, under pressure: economic pressure, ecological pressure, and the pressures of class and gender (and, for that matter, genre) regimes. These pressures catalyze affective mutations and a sense of dislocation, a felling of (not so transcendental) homelessness. Responding to eco-social circumstances, Dodge and Kahn work from the ethoi that the personal is political and the aesthetic is ideological. In their work, then, the aesthetic - including, crucially, the anaesthetic, and the anti-aesthetic is leveraged politically. These videos draw attention to the aesthetic itself as a fraught category, using the heightened consciousness created by the frame only to crash it, transmitting/effecting cognitive-cosmic dissonance via their signature punk-slapstick."

Superman was born Superman

David Carradine... Superman was born Superman (.mp3 audio 01:19, Kill Bill II Soundtrack). RIP: David Carradine.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Say You

Say You Ken Boothe with Lyn Taitt & The Jets... Say You (1975, High Note SEP 5094 .mp3 audio 02:48).

MULTI: Colby Katz: Beauty Pageants & Sarah Wilson: Blind Prom

MULTI: Colby Katz: Beauty Pageants & Sarah Wilson: Blind Prom at Foley Gallery. "...For the students at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, prom night is a momentous occasion. Since the spring season of 2006, Sarah Wilson has offered her professional services as the prom photographer for TSBVI. She marks, 'From the moment the girls began trying on their dresses in the dorm rooms, till the last dance at midnight, I was there taking pictures, fully immersed in a familiar teenage excitement and energy. For many of the kids this was the most formal event they had ever attended. It was Prom, and it was a big deal.'" Also... Keep Your Ear on the Ball - a documentary by Keith Maitland.

The Gay Peoples Union Collection

The Gay Peoples Union Collection at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. "...The Gay Peoples Union (GPU) was the most important gay and lesbian rights organization in Milwaukee during the 1970s. Beginning as a student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the group gradually became a resource for the entire Milwaukee community. Taking distance from the radical politics of the New Left, GPU adopted a politically moderate approach to social change, emphasizing education and legal reform. It actively embraced mainstream and alternative media outlets in order to educate the general public about homosexuality. GPU also took a leadership role in building an infrastructure for the emerging local gay and lesbian community. It established Milwaukee's first gay and lesbian community center, operated a telephone counseling service and a venereal disease examination center, and organized a legal defense committee to assist gays and lesbians with paying for legal representation. The organization faded in importance by the early 1980s, although it continues to exist today."

Afghan Star

Trailer (QuickTime Video) for Afghan Star. "...After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to Afghanistan. Millions are watching the TV series 'Afghan Star' and voting for their favorite singers by mobile phone. For many this is their first encounter with democracy. This timely film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk all to become the nation's favorite singer. But will they attain the freedom they hope for in this vulnerable and traditional nation?"

Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 | The Tank Man

T-shirt worn by one of the students T-shirt worn by one of the students (Call number: BG P1/366). From Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 at the IISG. "...The Chinese people's movement started as a demonstration by Beijing University students in April 1989, and in seven weeks grew into a massive protest that impressed and shook the world. Fortunately, right from the beginning, many people in China realized the significance of the events. Thanks to those people, who for obvious reasons have to remain anonymous, the prolific production of all kinds of documents by the activists was monitored. As a result, the movement is probably one of the best documented. A sinologist from Leiden University, Frank Pieke, was living in Beijing at the time, on an anthropological research mission. He and his colleagues started collecting documents, taking photographs, and contacting Chinese participants at once. In May, the Russian president Gorbachev paid an official visit to China, and Western journalists flocked to Beijing to cover the event. They were able to present eyewitness reports of the peoples' movement and at the same time act as an unofficial repository for documents. All these documents and pictures gathered by Chinese demonstrators, by Frank Pieke, his colleagues, and journalists now form the "Chinese People's Movement" collection, which is kept at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam. Also... The Tank Man on PBS Frontline. "...After all others had been silenced, his lonely act of defiance against the Chinese regime amazed the world. What became of him? And 20 years later, has China succeeded in erasing this event from its history?"

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Uncle Joe

Uncle Joe Clancy Eccles... Uncle Joe (1970, Clandisc CLA 221 .mp3 audio 03:01).

Soft Sculpture

Soft Sculpture at the National Gallery of Australia. "...Soft sculpture surveys the impact of unconventional materials on three-dimensional art practice over the last five decades. From the 1960s, artists began to use cloth, fur, rope, rubber, paper, leather, vinyl, plastics and other new substances to make forms that are persistent rather than permanent. The choice of these materials emphasises natural forces, such as gravity and heat, and in many cases have metaphorical or metaphysical implications. The exhibition examines the historical relationship between anti-form works of the 1960s and 1970s, and later categories of art, to the present day. It shows the many diverse ways artists exploit substances to make works of art."

Negroes With Guns: Rob Williams and Black Power

Trailer (QuickTime Video) for Negroes With Guns: Rob Williams and Black Power at Independent Lens. "...Negroes With Guns: Rob Williams and Black Power tells the dramatic story of the often-forgotten civil rights leader who urged African Americans to arm themselves against violent racists. In doing so, Williams not only challenged the Klan-dominated establishment of his hometown of Monroe, North Carolina, he alienated the mainstream Civil Rights Movement, which advocated peaceful resistance.
For Williams and other African Americans who had witnessed countless acts of brutality against their communities, armed self-defense was a practical matter of survival, particularly in the violent, racist heart of the Deep South. As the leader of the Monroe chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Williams led protests against the illegal segregation of Monroe’s public swimming pool. He also drew international attention to the harsh realities of life in the Jim Crow South. All the while, Williams and other protestors met the constant threat of violence and death with their guns close at hand.

Mugi Animation

Some animation by our friend Mugi Takei... 01 | 02 | 03.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Whatchamacallit

Esquivel... Whatchamacallit (.mp3 audio 02:37). From the album Esquivel - Exploring New Sounds in Stereo (1959, RCA Victor LSP-1978).

'Breaking Bad': Perfect season ends with a falling sky

'Breaking Bad': Perfect season ends with a falling sky (LA Times, May 31 2009). "...The writers of 'Breaking Bad' work inside of a room that has no clock, only a dartboard. There are also bulletin boards on two walls that eventually get papered over with index cards. And there is a single window. This window looks out to the Burbank airport, planes rising up into the sky..."

American Cars

Kevin Gray... American Cars (32 color photographs). From Kevin Gray Photography.

PRIMAL: Drawing as the Mirror of Self

Gibbson Girl Lee Godie... Gibbson Girl (paint on canvas). From the exhibition "PRIMAL: Drawing as the Mirror of Self" at Carl Hammer Gallery in Chicago, IL. Works by Phyllis Bramson, Orly Cogan, Henry Darger, Lee Godie, Jesse Howard, Frank Jones, Marilyn Murphy, Stephen Palmer, C.J. Pyle, Martin Ramirez, David Sharpe, Bill Traylor, Chris Ware, George Widener, and Joseph Yoakum.

Sacred Architecture in the Americas

Sacred Architecture in the Americas at Throckmorton Fine Art in New York. "...The exhibit will include images of notable ruins from the pre-Columbian era by an accomplished group of photographers: Désiré Charnay, Teobert Maler, Henry William Jackson, Hugo Brehme, Martín Chambi, Laura Gilpin, and Marilyn Bridges. The pre-Columbian civilizations of the Americas erected buildings and monuments that were guided in their conception, design, and even their location by deeply held and all - encompassing religious beliefs. All architecture was sacred. Architecture was - and remains - a prism of the civilizations' cosmology."

Wayne F. Miller: Bronzeville, 1946-1948

Wayne F. Miller: Bronzeville, 1946-1948 at Stephen Daiter Gallery. "...Bronzeville 1946-1948, is a selection of historic images from the larger body of documentary photographs created by Chicago-born Wayne Miller (1918 - ). Miller was awarded two Guggenheim grants to facilitate the project on Chicago's South Side. This portfolio was completed in 2008, 60 years after the photographs were taken."