A Page of Madness - 狂った一頁

A Page of Madness (狂った一頁, Flash Video 59:03) 1926, directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa). From Midnight Eye... "...A stunning invocation of the world as viewed by the mentally ill, within minutes, as the rapid montage of the opening storm sequences dissolves into the surrealistic fantasy of the sailor's wife dressed in an exotic costume dancing in front of an art-deco inspired backdrop featuring a large spinning ball flanked by ornate fountains, A Page of Madness bowls you over with a barrage of startling images utilising every technique known to filmmakers of the time. Even now, Kinugasa's film seems as fresh as a daisy and when seen on the big screen, as eye-popping an experience as anything you're likely to see released nowadays."

RIP: Slim Whitman

Indian Love Call in Mars Attacks! (Flash Video 00:44). RIP: Slim Whitman.

Michael Kenna

Michael Kenna at Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago, IL. "...Michael Kenna is undoubtedly one of the most exhibited and collected photographers working today. With a signature style all his own, Michael Kenna has achieved international recognition for his photographs, which have been exhibited throughout the world and are included in the permanent collections of most major museums. Kenna has proven time and again that his vision knows no boundaries. Whether working along the shores of South Korea, the Great Wall of China, mines in Germany or the gardens in France, Kenna seeks places of solitude, which speak volumes about humanity and the haunting beauty found in nature."

Billy Monk: Capetown Nightclub (1967-1969)

Billy Monk: Capetown Nightclub (1967-1969) at ASX.

Ozu at Film Forum

Ozu at Film Forum. "...His filming style was among the most eccentric and austere in world cinema: little-to-no camera movement, the total absence of fades or dissolves — straight cutting from scene to scene only, the unvarying camera angle — always from a low angle; the use of unpeopled “still life” shots as bridges between sequences; creating in its three-dimensionality, in its sense of other life lived beyond the screen frame, even beyond the film’s own duration, a sense of plot islands floating in a sea of life, informed by the benevolent world-view of one of the most idiosyncratic and greatest of filmmakers."

What Jane Saw

What Jane Saw. "...On 24 May 1813, Jane Austen visited an art exhibit at the British Institution in Pall Mall, London. The popular show was the first-ever retrospective of the works of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), England's celebrated portrait painter. Two centuries later, this e-gallery offers the modern visitor a historical reconstruction of that long-lost Regency blockbuster."

To Turn You On

Roxy Music... To Turn You On (1982, EG - EGHP 50.mp3 audio 04:17).

James Nares: Road Paint

James Nares: Road Paint at Paul Kasmin Gallery. "...Recalling the extremely slow frame rate of STREET, Nares slows down the processes of action and creation in his ROAD PAINT series in order to fastidiously record the minute nuances of movement. Isolating the idiosyncratic in the industrial, Nares utilizes a mechanical road striper to run extremely viscous white paint across the black ground of his canvases. Within the fresh strokes, tiny glass beads known as microspheres are deposited, producing an iridescent effect. This highly mechanical but also poetic process creates paintings that inventively echo the organic imagery of his well-known brushstroke paintings, as both uniquely record the passage of the mark-maker through both space and time."

4 x 4: Benjamin Jones / Lydia Walls / Linda Hall / Joseph Kurhajec

4 x 4: Benjamin Jones / Lydia Walls / Linda Hall / Joseph Kurhajec at Barbara Archer Gallery. "...features the work of 4 artists and 4 compelling series. Though each artist is unique, their common visual threads are raw and bold, weaving the work together."

Precious

Jane Hilton... Ruby, Wild Horse Ranch, 2012. From the exhibition Precious - photographs by Jane Hilton at Nailya Alexander Gallery in New York, NY. "...In 2000, the BBC commissioned Hilton to make 'Love for Sale,' a series of ten documentaries on Nevada’s legalized prostitution. In 2010, she decided to return with her plate camera to create intimate nude portraits of these girls who represent different cultural backgrounds and a variety of age groups. Hilton visited eleven brothels, including Madam Kitty’s Cathouse and Moonlite Bunny Ranch. She was able to capture her models’ dignity and strength of character while delicately challenging the societal notion of beauty and the stereotypical taboo associated with prostitution. Her entire study and detailed stories are documented in the book with the same title, 'Precious,' which will be released by Schilt Publishing this month."

American Darkness: O. Winston Link and Gregory Crewdson

American Darkness: O. Winston Link and Gregory Crewdson at Danziger Gallery. "...O. Winston Link (1915 – 2001) was a commercial photographer and train buff who in the mid 1950s devoted five years of his life to recording the last days of steam on the Norfolk and Western railway line. Photographing at night (when the steam appeared white against the black sky) and enlisting both train personnel and locals as supporting cast, Link produced his own quasi-Rockwellian vision of a world that was soon to pass. Gregory Crewdson is one of the pioneers of large scale contemporary color photography known for his elaborately staged and lighted tableaux of mysterious small town life. Long seen as one of a group of photographers (along with Jeff Wall and Cindy Sherman) whose work was influenced by Link, Crewdson has openly acknowledged his admiration for Link and even brought the photographer to Yale, where he now heads the prestigious MFA Photography program."

Japan's Modern Divide: The Photographs of Hiroshi Hamaya and Kansuke Yamamoto

Japan's Modern Divide: The Photographs of Hiroshi Hamaya and Kansuke Yamamoto at The Getty Center. "...Throughout his career Hiroshi Hamaya pursued objective documentation, while Kansuke Yamamoto favored avant-garde forms of expression. These photographers embody two sides of modern Japanese life: the traditional and the forward looking, the rural and the urban, the Eastern and the Western. Both artists grew up during the brief Taishō era (1912–1926), a period of industrialization and experimentation that ushered in the modern Shōwa era (1926–1989). It was during this time, between the international Depression and World War II, that Hamaya began to document regional traditions and social issues, primarily on the country's rugged "back coast" along the Sea of Japan. In contrast, Yamamoto found inspiration in Surrealist art from Europe and produced innovative, socially conscious photographs, poems, and other works that advanced the avant-garde movement in Japan."

Retro Kanban

The origin of my avatar.... Retro Kanban of Otsuka Group at Retro Kanban - Japanese Enamel Signboards.