Ansel Krut, Rooster in the Clouds, 2009
Grounded in a tradition of abstract expressionism, come graphic illustration, for me Ansel Krut falls somewhere between Georges Braque and George Condo. I love it when you can see a hint of a personality in a shape or recognise body parts that relay a humanity. Identification allows a sense of security and understanding, but when married with an inability to compute, we fall into a sublime state where our mind plays with associations in wonder. I love the generosity in shapes, fleshy palpable paint strokes. This proud cock and balls holding court, exhibiting himself, is so absurdly virile; yet it’s flowery too… A confident masculity that could easily be found drinking a glass of Burgundy in the French House entertaining both boys and girls. This cock’s a bit of slut I bet.
If I was in Pittsburgh I would be making my way to the Opening Celebration: Playboy Pajama Party at the Warhol Musuem. It’s the opening of the Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny, which celebrates 50 years of the Playboy bunny. What an excellent meeting of iconic minds and bodies. I doubt my feminist sisters would approve however!
Since closing Pocket, Donlon Books is the best book shop in London. No Doubt. I just came accross this: From a total edition of 125 silkscreens , this 18×24″ 3 color glow-in-the-dark poster was designed by artist Cameron Jamie in Paris and printed in the Detroit area, September, 2009. The poster was produced for the Destroy All Monsters archive exhibit “Hungry for Death” at White Flag Projects, St. Louis, Sept./Oct. 2009. From the edition of 125 there were 50 copies signed by the artist, the edition was printed on antiqued/French cream paper.
Shigeko Kubota was part of the Fluxus movement. This is her first Fluxus object, Flux Napkins (1965), a series of paper napkins with cut out facial features, which were used at Fluxus dinner parties and later advertised in Fluxus publications. Nice mouth. Look while listening to Lee Gamble's Robolmix (February 2010).
I’ve just finished reading Straw Dogs by John Gray, an incredible book that looks at our nature and argues that we’re closer to animals than we may wish to concede. It’s a revolutionary read that insists we are not in control of our own world and commanding our will upon things can only lead to misery. Of course here are strong links to Taoism and I found the book incredibly enlightening, very timely and perhaps quite a useful tool for a woman of a certain age to find peace in being, first and foremost, herself.
In Western tradition movements such as meritocracy and feminism and post-feminism have nurtured us into believing we can have it all, be anything, ‘achieve’ and thus find ‘purpose’ in our lives. Included in such fortunes that must befall us are a career, beauty, marriage and the ability to bare beautiful babies. ‘Progress and technology’ (which Gray argues are not purely helpful things) are offered up to ‘help’ us along. As we hit our mid-30s, women, (if we’ve got the readies, i.e. why we need that status job) we can command baby botox, dating sites and IVF. Given these contemporary wonders, if you’re committed and ambitious enough, there is really no reason to fail. Now, we’re all thankful for meritocracy and feminism and I am not saying that any of the above goals in life is bad. Hell in an ideal world I want the whole package too, but the reality is we do not live in an ideal world, we live in world that is equal in tragedy and joy, and it is through us trying to gain control over it that has led us into pits of universal and personal misery. I think we owe it to ourselves to find a new way of being. As Gray summarises ‘Spiritual life is not a search for meaning but a release from it.’
On a lighter note, take a look at these little fellas and recognise a shared spirit with humanity. (Oh and check the monkey’s little fists.)
Gosh, print is so sexy. I’m doing some research and just came across this, a prisoner of war underground newspaper which was produced as a form of resistance to the Nazis. It was printed daily and distributed into the POW camps and throughout Germany covertly. “The only truthful newspaper in Germany. To be read silently, quickly and in groups of three.” read more here.
Lovely found drawings from early 1900s depicting Mars. from The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4), by J. Arthur Thomson. But would it be better in print…? I’m not sure anymore. If you think in terms of who this is available to now, the money and the resources saved. Distribution is the biggest benefit of online publishing.
1} Drawings by Prof. Lowell to accompany actual photographs of Mars showing many of the
2} canals. Taken in 1907 by Mr. E. C. Slipher of the Lowell Observatory.
3 Drawing by Prof. Lowell made January 6, 1914.
4 Drawing by Prof. Lowell made January 21, 1914.
Nos. 1 and 2 show the effect of the planet’s rotation. Nos. 3 and 4 depict quite different sections. Note the change in the polar snow-caps in the last two.
Late at the Tate was held in the ‘sublime’ room. Probably my favourite room at Tate Britain. And sublimity probably doesn’t get much better than this. Of course it doesn’t really translate over this medium, you need to see it for yourself, or at least a really good reproduction. As what you don’t see here is the way that both the lion and the horse seem to be looking right at you, and challenging you with unremitting eyes. It’s odd because the Lion is tearing up the horse, but they seem in unison against you. Like nature taking you, the viewer, on (which is I guess what the sublime does). The image imprinted the night’s mood as the sounds a tDMZ felt equally fierce.
