Collision
Max Hattler presents us with Collision, a kaleidoscopic vision of Islamic patterns, American quilts and the colors and geometry of flags as an abstract field of reflection. Make sure you have the sound turned on — sound design also by brilliant MH.
Here’s a high-def version of the video.
The Sky is Falling
Guest author day. Today’s post was sent to me by Rosa Naparstek, artist and co-founder of Artists Unite. (See also http://artistsunite.ning.com/)
Liberty, by Rosa Naparstek
Dear Friends,
My sister and I went to Ellis Island last week, the portal of our entry into the United States in 1951. I remember standing on deck at the railing, holding my father’s hand and cheering at the sight of the statue and land. I knew we had arrived for a new life and home. My father was a socialist and brought me up to respect labor and that capitalism was an exploitive form of human relationship. He was a scholar, an “upper maker” by trade, (the top part of the shoe) and worked at Henry Ford’s cutting upholstery. My mother worked there too, sewing it. She had been a seamstress. He wanted to teach me how to make shoes so that I could always earn a living. I told him I didn’t need to; that I would go to college and be safe. Now, after many professions, I find myself gathering things “the fruit of human labor” to put together in some form that honors the story behind them and–so that I too can finally say I have made something with my hands.
As much as I read and have read about economics now and in the past, I feel most of what we say about it is fiction. The land is still here. The houses are still here. The farms are still here. The people, hands, minds are still here. It is an affair of the heart, giving and receiving.
That’s where the problem lies, writ large. Socialism en route to communism, are spiritual economic systems: to give according to our abilities and receive according to our needs. And, the final state, the withering away of the state, is the time when we no longer need external rules, laws because we have we have become our best, highest self, and are unafraid to know that we are all one.
All things get distorted. Laissez-faire has it’s theoretical validity too, a belief in personal freedom, which after all is also the highest goal of “the withering away of the state”. However personal freedom unmoored from spiritual development can become greed and ruthless disregard of the the other and the best in ourselves.
Many celebrated when “communism” failed in what seemed “not with a bang, but a whimper”. We won, we won! And now, who will say forthrightly–capitalism, unfettered markets and unaccountable profits have failed, bringing us down with a global bang. We do not live the truths in each theory, we live and create from the truth of who and what we are.
Yes, we are at an interesting juncture. The sky is falling. Crisis/opportunity palpable. Can we create an economy of caring and cooperation? Evolution takes a long time, but emergent realities can sometimes break through.
[above image by Rosa Naparstek, copyright the artist, all rights reserved]
“The past is prologue.” ~Joe Biden
Retroblogging 1984, when another very old man was running for office:
Ronnie Raygun tells us, “America is back and standing tall.”
How inspiring–at least for Pop Front. [<--This link works best with Safari or Internet Explorer]
Pop Front: America’s Back (mp3)
The streets are paved with gold
Opportunity knocks on every door
Rags to riches that’s the dream
The will to win, the means to score
But some ain’t white and some live in hell
We all get chances, but some get more
America’s back and standing tall
But I’m leaning against a falling wall
The world’s Great Democracy
Freedom of choice for everyone
We value freedom more than life
Lords and masters, we have none
But we don’t vote for lords of wealth
We choose and choose but nothing’s done
America’s back and standing tall
But I’m leaning against a falling wall
Another nation we invade
The US Army saves the day
All that’s right is restored
Justice, Truth, and the American Way
The war machine grows fat and strong
On what they’ve stolen from my pay
America’s back and standing tall
But I’m leaning against a falling wall
History and billboards
Things aren’t always as they seem
I was formed by a faded myth
Turn up the volume to drown the screams
We fall, wings burned by a neon light
The ashes of the American Dream
America’s back and standing tall
But I’m leaning against a falling wall
America… America…
[music and lyrics, copyright Pop Front, all rights reserved]
[Poster of Ronald Reagan by "art brat" guerrilla drawer and posterer Robbie Conal, copyright Robbie Conal]
Where Poetry Meets Drawing
E.J. McAdams' ChapBook, "4 X 4", copyright E.J. McAdams
Admittedly, I’m more than a bit obsessed with the upcoming election, but please banish the thought that this post has anything to do with the candidate who sneeringly called the opposing candidate “THAT ONE,” during last night’s debate. Nope, you can breathe a sigh of relief because, exercising extreme self control, I can guarantee this has nothing to do with politics.
A couple weeks ago I ran into poet and environmental do-gooder E.J. McAdams at an event for The Nature Conservancy. I admire E.J. for directing his dedication, discipline, and talents toward the concurrent goals of helping nature and creating art. His recent good news included the publication of a chapbook of his poetry, entitled 4 X 4. Of particular interest to me is the purely visual impact of the work (as it relates to concrete poetry), which got me thinking about the intersection of words and drawing; abstract lines and dots on a page with perhaps specific references, also capable of conveying many layers of meaning.
There’s a full review of 4 X 4 worth reading over on the blog “Behind the Lines.” The chapbooks sold out quickly so regretfully there are none left, but I know E.J.’s been busy and I’ll be looking forward to see what comes next!
Don’t vote.
Unless you want to vote. In which case, you’ve got to register very soon, like NOW. Here: www.declareyourself.com
I don’t know who half of those celebs are, but THIS guy I know.
UPDATE: NY Times article States’ Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal
Reading The Fine Print
An aspiring writer, one of my towering, affable nephews blew through town recently. We decided to grab some grub at the writer-owned-and-frequented watering hole The Half King (good brunch!) and then see what there was to see at the “art mall” at 529 W 20th Street.
I’ve been frustrated of late by encountering a lot of work that relies on accompanying written materials to justify and explain the artists’ intentions. I’m well-versed enough in the language of art that I figure I should be able to “get it” without reading the manifesto, a.k.a Art Babble. However, this recent visit to Chelsea had me thinking a bit differently about the pros and cons of the additional reading material and how it affects my experience and assessment of the work.
Walking into bitforms gallery, there was a show where the work itself was all about reading. Up until October 11th, the gallery is presenting Politics As Usual, the first US solo exhibition of composer, artist and performer R. Luke DuBois. The room is filled with letterpress prints formatted like eye test charts, with large-lettered words at the top which decrease in size with each line. A droning sonic hum permeated the gallery. I looked around and my first reaction was to heave a sigh as I reached for the printed materials. “Okay,” I thought, “bring on the manifesto.” But in this instance, the written materials were concise and useful. The letterpress pieces, it explained, comprised a series called Hindsight is Always 20/20, which “examines the history of American political discourse through the metaphor of vision. Drawing from the annual State of the Union addresses given by Presidents to Congress,” each print culled words from their speeches, with the largest words being the most frequent to the smallest, least frequently used. “The result is a startlingly clear snapshot of the lexicon of each presidency, containing a mix of historically topical keywords and rhetoric unique to each president and the time period in which they served in office.” I couldn’t say it better.
R. Luke Dubois, "George Walker Bush (2001-2009)", copyright the artist
R. Luke Dubois, "Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)", copyright the artist
The exhibition’s soundtrack called SSB, is a recording of the national anthem as performed by soprano Lesley Flanigan and then “digitally stretched to last four years (the length of an American election cycle).” For a dose of irony, “the resulting sound, with its repetition, echo, and microtonal nuance, is reminiscent of an adhan, or Islamic call to prayer.”
As we gear up to this election, what a fascinating perspective to have on our country’s history. In spite of my initial resistance to reading the fine print, it made all the difference in this case.
I have found Howard Scott Gallery an inviting, intimate environment where I can reliably count on seeing sophisticated, strong work by confident, mature artists. Encountering Tom Schmitt’s works on paper seemed to confirm that expectation. The works, mostly under 8″ square, were mostly from the past few years, with a couple of slightly larger early pieces from the 60’s as well. The reductive, minimal works were full of nuances that engaged the viewer. Colors, carefully considered edges, and subtle gradations were used to maximum effect, imbuing the small pieces with depth and mystery. Architecture, nature, and iconic symbolism all came to mind from these non-objective starting points. I looked at the exhibition check list, and all the recent drawings were listed as “ink on paper.” The precision of the handling of the ink, especially the gradations really amazed me. It was hard to imagine that even the steadiest hand could master such technique. Turns out I was right. Reading more of the gallery’s materials on the show, Arnold Lehman’s essay in the press materials states, “Forty years have passed since I first saw and admired Tom Schmitt’s work. Since then, everything around us has changed. On first glance, so had Schmitt’s work, now created by computer instead of his steady hand. Technology had been harnessed by the artist to serve the intrinsic nature of his work.”
Tom Schmitt: Black Grey, 7.5 x 7.5" 2008 (2006?). Copyright the artist
I concur that the pieces Schmitt has created and printed using computer technology are powerful and in keeping with his overall artistic sensibility. However, something about this didn’t sit right with me. While on-line some of the work is noted as “computer ink on paper,” in the gallery, these pieces were identified as ink on paper, implying they were one of a kind drawings, which they were not. These were, in fact, digital inkjet prints, which should bring up archival questions for potential collectors. Also, I would think potential collectors would want to know if the artist plans to reprint an unlimited number of these pieces, and if not, shouldn’t each one be presented as a signed and numbered limited edition? At any rate, they are not unique pieces, and not made by hand. I had to ask myself, how much of the value, intrinsic merit, and importance of the work is tied up in its being a unique artifact made by a human hand? It’s a thorny question that I’m still pondering, but the truth of my gut reaction was that I felt differently about the work once I had discovered the means of its production. It also made me feel that, intentionally or not, there was some deception implicit in presenting the digital prints as unnumbered pieces of “ink on paper.”
Pictures Worth 2000 Words
Just my two cents, while I still have two left (soon to be the sum total of my life savings):
