Franklin Furnace’s Goings On
August 22, 2005
CONTENTS:
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1. Marcus Young, FF Alumn, announces new residency and more
2. Peter Grzybowski, FF Alumn, in HOWL Festival, August 24 and more
3. Nao Bustamante, FF Alumn, at HOWL festival, August 23
4. Leonardo and others at conference on media art/science/tech, Banff, Septenber 28-October 1
5. Yoshiko Chuma, FF Alumn, at PS 122, August 25-29
6. Beth Lapides, FF Alumn, at Un-Cabaret, LA, August 27
7. Christy Gast, FF Alumn, at Cabaret Voltaire, Zurich, and more
8. Deborah Garwood, FF Alumn, in Gay City News
9. Ken Butler, FF Alumn, at Zebulon, Brooklyn, August 25, 10 pm
10. Isabel Samaras, FF ALumn, at Shooting Gallery, SF, opening September 16
11. Michael Smith, FF Alumn, at Joymore, Brooklyn, thru September 10 + NY Times review
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1. Marcus Young, FF Alumn, announces new residency and more.
Dear Friends,
I hope you don’t mind me sending a note now and again updating you on my work.
a. Through Public Art St. Paul I have been named one of two Artists in Residence for the City of St. Paul. My residency will begin in 2007. I will work closely with City agencies, Ramsey County Property Management, and the Saint Paul Design Center in the design of public places throughout Saint Paul.
b. In June I premiered “And” at the Red Eye. A work of conceptual theater, it is my first stage work I feel is ready for a continued run. I hope to start touring it this fall.
c. Just last week, I smiled while slowly walking Nicollet Mall, three hours a day for five consecutive days. I’m not willing to call it art and am trying out the term “strange reality.” Whatever it is, it’s also called ” Pacific Avenue”, and I premiered it in Beijing in May and will walk New York’s Wall Street in October.
To see photos of the Minneapolis walk, please visit:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marcusyoung/my_photos
d. Next month, I will premiere “Break” at four Chinese restaurants in Minnesota (three in the Twin Cities and one in Walker, MN). This public art project involving fortune cookies will hopefully puzzle and delight unsuspecting customers with atypical fortunes.
An example: “Buy a door. Sell a door.Open a door. Close a door. Adore a door. Ignore a door.
Thank you for your interest in my work.
Good wishes, marcus young
[The Artist in Residence position is an initiative of Public Art Saint Paul in partnership with the City of Saint Paul and with funding from Greater Saint Paul Building Owners and Managers Association. “And” was made possible by Red Eye, Blacklock Nature Sancturary Artist Fellowship funded by Jerome Foundation, MN State Arts Board, and USCPFA-MN. ” Pacific Avenue” was part of the Visible Fringe. “Break” is through FORECAST Public Artworks funded by Jerome Foundation. Thank you.]
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2. Peter Grzybowski, FF Alumn, in HOWL Festival, August 24 and more.
New performances in New York, as part of HOWL festival:
‘August Performance’ Wednesday, August 24, 8 PM
Fusion Arts Museum, 57 Stanton Street, New York
New version of the “June Performance” last presented in June at ‘chashama’
Photo / Video: June Performance
Texts: Performance artists – don’t you play with matches!
Performerzy – nie bawcie się zapałkami! at SPAM magazine or at grzybowski.org (In Polish)
‘August News’
Friday, August 26, 8 PM
The Ukrainian Museum
222 East 6th Street, New York
More information
http://www.howlfestival.com/
Peter Grzybowski
http://grzybowski.org
80 Varick Street Suite 2D New York , NY 10013 PHONE / FAX: 212 219 84-24
The 13th International Performance Art Festival Castle of Imagination
Ustka / Slupsk / Torun / Krakow
August 25 th – September 3 rd 2005
18:00
Thursday, 25.08.2005 – opening / Baltic Art Gallery – Ustka
Ewa Rybska & Wladyslaw Kazmierczak (Poland)
Beni Kori (Israel)
Yaron David (Israel)
Patric Jambon (Germany)
Dariusz Fodczuk (Poland)
Peter Grzybowski (USA – NYC) / video
Yaacov Chefetz (Israel) / video
18:00
Friday, 26.08.2005 / Theatre Rondo – Slupsk
Patrycja German (Germany)
Greg Walloch (USA – NYC)
Anne Seagrave (Ireland)
Wojtek Kowalczyk & Danuta Nawrocka (Poland)
Leena Kela (Finland)
Wicza (Poland)
18:00
Saturday, 27.08.2005 / Baltic Art Gallery – Ustka
Omar Ghayat (Egypt)
Peter Baren (Holland)
Shannon Cochrane (Canada)
Maria Legault (Canada)
Anna Syczewska (Poland)
Alexandra Gneissl (Germany)
Group Sedzia Glowny / the Main Judge (Poland)
Karolina Stepniowska (Poland)
Torun / Theatre Wiczy
18:00
Monday, 29.08.2005.
Ewa Rybska & Wladyslaw Kazmierczak (Poland)
Beni Kori (Israel)
Yaron David (Israel)
Patric Jambon (Germany)
Dariusz Fodczuk (Poland)
Wojtek Kowalczyk & Danuta Nawrocka (Poland)
Anna Syczewska (Poland)
Alexandra Gneissl (Germany)
Karolina Stepniowska (Poland)
Pawel Kwasniewski (Poland)
Peter Grzybowski (USA – NYC) / video
Yaacov Chefetz (Israel) / video
18:00
Tuesday, 30.08.2005.
Patrycja German (Niemcy)
Greg Walloch (USA – NYC)
Anne Seagrave (Ireland)
Leena Kela (Finland)
Wicza (Poland)
Omar Ghayat (Egypt)
Peter Baren (Holland)
Group AUSEKLIC/USINS (Latvia)
Shannon Cochrane (Canada)
Maria Legault (Canada)
Rose Hill (USA)
Jiri Suruvka & Ivanna Obstova (Czech Rep.)Krakow / Theatre Laznia Nowa (New Bath)
18:00
Thursday 1.09.2005.
Ewa Rybska & Wladyslaw Kazmierczak (Poland)
Yaron David (Israel)
Peter Baren (Holland)
Patric Jambon (Germany)
Wojtek Kowalczyk & Danuta Nawrocka (Poland)
Liza Morozowa (Russia – Moscow)
Dariusz Fodczuk (Poland)
Peter Grzybowski (USA – NYC) / video
Yaacov Chefetz (Israel) / video
18:00
Friday 2.09.2005.
Patrycja German ( Germany)
Greg Walloch ( USA – NYC)
Anne Seagrave ( Ireland)
Leena Kela ( Finland)
Group AUSEKLIC/USINS ( Latvia)
Wicza ( Poland)
Rose Hill ( USA)
Giovanni Fontana ( Italy)
John Boehme ( Canada)
18:00
Saturday 3.09.2005.
Omar Ghayat (Egypt)
Shannon Cochrane (Canada)
Maria Legault (Canada)
Denis Romanowski (Belarus)
Anna Syczewska (Poland)
Alexandra Gneissl (Germany)
Karolina Stepniowska (Poland)
Jiri Suruvka & Ivanna Obstova (Czechy)
Curator:
Wladyslaw Kazmierczak
wladyslaw_kazmierczak@onet.pl
www.kazmierczak.artist.pl
mobile: +48 603 075 758
Co-operation with TOOTHSYSTEM
Arti Grabowski:
mobile: + 48 505 210 606
grabarti@o2.pl
a.grabowski@fortsztuki.org
http://cyprian.e.kei.pl/i/arti/
Ana Syczewska:
mobile: +48 501 137 374
pyrtus2000@yahoo.com
Addresses:
The main office: c/o Baltic Gallery of Contemporary Art
ul. Partyzantow 31 a, 76 – 200 Slupsk / Poland
tel. (+48 59) 8425 674, tel./fax: (+48 59) 8411 949
info@baltic-gallery.art.pl
castle_of_imagination@poczta.onet.pl
Office in Torun: Teatr Wiczy, ul. Szpitalna 8, 87-100 Torun,
tel. +48(56)6522755 w.37 mobile; +48501612111
http://wicza.com/
office@wicza.com
direktor: Romuald Wicza – Pokorski
Office in Krakow: Nowa Laznia, os. Szkolne 25, 31-977 Krakow
tel: tel. (12) 425 03 20, 425 03 21
biuro@laznianowa.pl
www.laznianowa.pl
direktor: Bartosz Szydlowski
Venues:
Ustka: Baltic Art Gallery, ul. Zaruskiego 1, 76 – 270 Ustka
Slupsk: the Theatre “Rondo” (black box), ul. Niedzialkowskiego 5, 76 – 200 Slupsk
Torun: Theatre “Wiczy” (black box) located in the centre of the historical market., Ratusz Staromiejski, Rynek Staromiejski 1, 87 – 100 Torun
Krakow: The Theatre “Nowa Laznia” located in the post-industrial space, os. Szkolne 25, 31-977 Krakow
Time table:
August 25th – 27th / Ustka / Slupsk
August 29th – 30th Torun
September 1st – 3rd Krakow
Our festival started in 1993 and already hosted 330 artists from 32 countries. This year we want just to invite our old friends and the new fascinating performance artists. More details you could see soon at the festival website
http://www.performance.art.pl
Organizers:
The festival is organized by the non-profit association The Society of the Friends of Contemporary Art and the Baltic Gallery of Contemporary Art in Slupsk,
Co-organisers:
Culture Centre in Slupsk,
Theatre “Wiczy”
The Theatre “Laznia Nowa”
Support: Pomeranian Council in Gdansk
The nearest airports:
Ustka / Slupsk – Gdansk
Torun – Gdansk, Warsaw
Krakow – Krakow, Katowice (Pyrzowice), Warsaw
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3. Nao Bustamante, FF Alumn, at HOWL festival, August 23.
YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE: MDC at the knitting factory for HOWL! festival…
Okay, I’m completely excited to announce that MAISON DU CHIC emerges once again, this time for the HOWL! Festival on the mainstage at Knitting Factory. We’re thrilled to have been asked to share in this celebration of NYC counter-culture, we’re pulling out all the stops. Bands, electronics, visuals, and the future and past of multimedia performance converge on the stage for tonight’s show. And just so you know, Nicklcat is co-presenting this event with NYC-newcomer, Earl Dax, whose “third tuesdays” have been capturing the collective imagination of the downtown scene. Yes, folks, this evening’s lineup is a confluence of two impeccable (or at least impeccably strange!) tastes. Our menu includes…
Performance art pioneer Nao Bustamante is best known for her work, “Indigurrito,” in which she strapped a burrito to her loins and invited white men to take a bite and absolve themselves of 500 years of guilt. Nao brought in the 90s with her quirky and intricately executed performances dealing with gender and ethnicity, including an infamous appearance on the Joan Rivers show as a “stunt exhibitionist.” Her Aughties style finds her vivid as ever, performing with MDC co-conspirators, the ever-inspiring feminist art revolution, LTTR. “By making serious fun of everyone, she pushes people to stop defending their personal territory of indignity and let go through laughter and irreverence” – San Francisco Weekly
The Petit Prince of Avant-Electo, Phiiliip came onto the scene a few years ago when indiepop’s badboy genius Momus released his bizarre debut disc, Pet Cancer–a chaotic amalgam of folky fragments, broken beats, and Phiiliip’s husky-toned voice. Since then, his name has become synonymous with both the electro and underground art scenes: International DJ Gigolo, Berliniamsburg, K48, and (most recently) Deitch Projects have championed his efforts. “A real wierdo”- Vice Magazine
Daisy Spurs are the latest creative project of Bill Coleman, legendary New York DJ and producer well-known and well-respected for having discovered the band Deee-Lite. Like an small army of Vogue-era ballroom boys, his Spurs take to the stage with fierce attitudes, in-your-face punky-funk beats, revved-up, sexed-out lyrics, and a stage show that I’ve seen make burlesque starlet Dirty Martini’s jaw drop to the floor…”The Daisy Spurs are like the uber-sexy downtown version of OutKast on steroids. I would book the crunkadelic stage show any chance I could.” – Larry Tee!!!
War Slut combine shit-blistering noise rock with outrageous theatrics a la Richard Foreman (whose Ontological-Hysteric the band just played). The band features the leggy Elizabeth Purrleader on saxophone, James Hoff on guitar, Black Moustache/Miracle of 86 drummer Mike Skinner, and Plexifilm scion Gary Hustwit on hand-built electronics. Comparisons have been made to Harry Pussy, Merzbow, and the Swans, but most likely you will compare them to death.
John Moran is best known to the experimental performance community for his post-minimalist opera, The Manson Family, championed by Philip Glass, and recorded by such luminaries as Iggy Pop and Terre Roche. His subsequent theater works (on subjects ranging from Jack Benny to “The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari”) have been produced at Lincoln Center, the Kitchen, and LaMaMa. Along with his muse, the chanteuse Saori, John will perform excerpts from his celebrated works, incorporating atmospheric electronics, speech-sample loops, and haunting texts.
PLUS PLUS PLUS
We have the incredible DJs LAMBCHOP and DIRTY LARRY providing the tunes
Visuals by legendary MIGHTY ROBOT
A film by NEGATIVLAND
and, quite possibly, a death-defying special surprise act!!!!
Please please please spread the word…we’ve put this amazing lineup together at the last minute, so we really need yer help letting others know to come to the party!!!!!! it’s going to be a ton of fun, and if you have been missing your “retrofuturist cabaret,” then this will be a welcome moment for you!!!!!!
here are the details:
MAISON DU CHIC
TUESDAY, AUG 23
8:00 PM – midnite
KNITTING FACTORY MAINSPACE
70 Leonard Street NYC
$8 in advance/$10 at door
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!!
xxxooo nciklcat
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4. Leonardo and others at conference on media art/science/tech, Banff, September 28-October 1.
=20
Refresh! Art=20
Refresh! Thinking
Refresh! History
Refresh! The First International Conference on the histories of = media art, science and technology. Hosted by the Banff New Media = Institute, Leonardo / ISAST, and the Database for Virtual Art,
a.. September 28 to October 1, 2005=20
b.. The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, Canada=20
c.. REGISTER NOW
At Refresh! for the first time, a globally representative group of = artists and scholars will meet to deliberate the history of media arts = at the turn of the millennium and offer a seminal basis for = understanding its relationship with the disciplines of art history, = anthropology, computing sciences, media studies and other intercultural = contexts. Refresh! will endeavour to contextualize the histories of = science and technology with the history of media arts.
The complex evolution of media art from lanterna magicas, to early = experiments with sound, to nanotechnology has taken a series of breaks, = detours and varying interpretations, all resulting in the collaboration = of art, science and technology. Refresh! intends to make sense of how = these myriad art practices and innovations will be understood, and = histories written.
Keynote speakers include Paris-based theoretician Edmond Couchot, = S=E3o Paulo-based Semiotics professor Lucia Santaella, and Sarat Maharaj = from Goldsmiths College, London. These and other eminent speakers will = expand the discourses that map the histories of new media practice, = opening a dialogue with over 150 of the most pioneering minds in media = art.
The conference is directed by Oliver Grau, director of Immersive = Art & Database of Virtual Art, Humboldt University Berlin with local = conference developer Susan Kennard, director of the Banff New Media = Institute. Honourary and advisory conference board members include = Rudolf Arnheim, Itsuo Sakane, Peter Weibel, Gunalan Nadarajan, Andreas = Broekmann, Diana Domingues, Jean Gagnon, and Frank Popper.
Refresh! is supported by Humboldt University (partner), = Leonardo/ISAST (partner), Goethe-institute, Deutsche = Forschungsgemeinschaft, Canada Council for the Arts, Social Science and = Humanities Research Council, Daniel Langlois Foundation, Villa Vigoni, = UNESCO DigiArts, Intel, and ITAU Cultural.=20
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5. Yoshiko Chuma, FF Alumn, at PS 122, August 25-29.
please come to the show!
HOWL & PS 122 PRESENT
HOWL! DANCE INSIDE/OUTSIDE
AUGUST 25-28 at P.S. 122
4 dancers, 4 trombones, 4 episodes, 1 singer, and four 7-foot cubes
Conceived and Directed by Yoshiko Chuma
Choreographed in collaboration with performers: Donald Fleming, Irving Gregory, Motoko Ikeda, Anthony Phillips
and Ksenia Vidyaykina (singer)
Music composed/performed by Christopher McIntyre &
The Trombone Band: Richard Marriot and Jacob Garchick
Video images: Jacob Burckhardt, Rudy Burckhardt, Yoshiko Chuma
Costumes: KhadiShop
Lighting: Pat Dignan
Cube Design: Ralph Lee
Sound design: Jacob Burckhardt
production/stage Manager: Kryssy Wright Media: Chris Altman
PLUS
8 BRAND NEW SHORT DANCES
10 minute works, 2 per night
8/25: Chris Yon, Ursula Eagly
8/26: Jonah Bokaer, Rebecca Davis
8/27: Malinda Allen, Bethany Wright
8/28: Christopher Williams, Yoshiko Chuma
two solos will be presented each night, followed by the full-length performance of INSIDE/OUTSIDE.
P.S. 122 (150 First Ave @ E. 9th St)
Thurs-Sat, Aug 25-27 at 8:00pm
Sun, Aug 28 at 5:00pm
Tickets $15.00
INSIDE/OUTSIDE by Yoshiko Chuma
photo of recent company performance in Japan
P.S. 122 Box Office 212-477-5288 or www.ps122.org
Part of HOWL! FESTIVAL 2005 www.howlfestival.com
Funded in part by NYSCA, NEA, and Altria Group Inc.
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6. Beth Lapides, FF Alumn, at Un-Cabaret, LA, August 27.
This Saturday, Aug. 27, Beth Lapides hosts a special UN-CABARET CIVIL RIGHTS
BENEFIT SHOW in LA!
The Patriot Act is eroding your privacy and right to due process.Your right to choose is hanging by a thread. The Judiciary itself is under attack!
This Saturday, some of the deepest comic minds in the business take on some of the heaviest issues of the day in the funniest possible way.
Beth Lapides, Kevin Rooney, Rick Overton, Merrill Markoe, Henriette Mantel, Dana Gould, Greg Fitzsimmons & Warren Hutcherson deal with the PATRIOT ACT, the SUPREME COURT, DISSENT, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, DRUG POLICY, and other ACLU-ey topics.
The show will be filmed for “The Freedom Files”, a new documentary series by Robert Greenwald (“Outfoxed”). Proceeds from the show also go to the ACLU. And it’s ONLY TEN BUCKS!
Un-Cabaret @ M-Bar, 1253 N. Vine (sw corner of Fountain) Show starts at 8pm, doors open at 7 for drinks & dinner. Seats guaranteed with dinner reservations. Valet Parking available.
323-993-3305 for reservations or get pre-paid tickets online @ UNCABARET.COM
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7. Christy Gast, FF Alumn, at Cabaret Voltaire, Zurich, and more.
Christy Gast of Cloud Seeding Circus is showing a video at Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, Switzerland, as part of an exhibition celebrating the work of New York dada pioneer Baroness Elsa von Freytag Loringhoven. http://www.cabaretvoltaire.ch
Her work was also selected for Contemporary Artists Center’s 2005 Juried Show in North Adams, MA, USA. www.thecac.org
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8. Deborah Garwood, FF Alumn, in Gay City News.
Greetings!
Please follow the link below to read my review of the Robert Smithson retrospective:
“Art and Earth In Correspondence” [Robert Smithson at the Whitney Museum, Gay City News,
Volume 75, Number 33 | August 18 – 24, 2005]
http://www.gaycitynews.com/gcn_433/artandearth.html
Comments welcome as always,
Deborah
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9. Ken Butler, FF Alumn, at Zebulon, Brooklyn, August 25, 10 pm.
Ken Butler’s Voices of Anxious Objects
Thursday, August 25th 10pm
no cover no minimum
ZEBULON
258 Wythe Ave.
(Metropolitan & N.3rd) Williamsburg, Brooklyn
http://www.zebuloncafeconcert.com/
Ken Butler: hybrid strings, vibraband
Matt Darriau: (reeds), gaida, kaval, alto, clarinet, flutes
Bill Buchen: electric tablas, percussion
Stomu Takeishi: fretless electric bass
with guest artist Najib Shaheen: oud
“Hybridized world rhythms on instruments made from tools and household objects”
The artist-musician performs mesmerizing world textures and driving melodic gypsy grooves with passion and purpose on an amazing arsenal of amplified hybrid string instruments made from household objects and tools. Duchampian Dada meets Hybrid Hindu Hendrix.
KEN BUTLER is an artist and musician whose works have been featured internationally and throughout the USA, including The Stedelijk Museum and The Apollohouse in Holland and The Kitchen, Thread Waxing Space, Exit Art, The Knitting Factory, The Brooklyn Museum, Lincoln Center, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His works have been reviewed in The New York Times, Artforum, and The Village Voice and have been featured on PBS, NBC, CNN, and MTV, including an appearance on The Tonight Show.
Awards include fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. He has performed with John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Butch Morris, The Soldier String Quartet, The Paradox Trio, and The Master Gnawa musicians of Morocco. His CD, Voices of Anxious Objects is on John Zorn’s Tzadik label. Website: http://www.mindspring.com/~kbhybrid/
MATT DARRIAU was named one of the most influential jazz musicians of the last fifteen years by Jazziz Magazine for bringing Balkan rhythms and melodies into jazz. In addition to being a leading innovator in the eclectic downtown scene of the 90’s with his Paradox Trio (three CD’s on the Knitting Factory label) and for the past eight years with The Klezmatics, Darriau is also active as composer and musician in the Recycled Waltz Orchestra, Ballin the Jack, and Septeto Roberto Rodriguez.
STOMU TAKEISHI is a bass player, composer, and graduate of the Berklee College of Music who has lived in New York for 15 years since moving from his native Tokyo. He has recorded and performed with Dave Tronzo, Paul Motion, Mick Goodrich, Badal Roy, and performed with Don Cherry, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Henry Threadgill, Cuong Vu, Myra Melford, and Eric Friedlander, among many others.
BILL BUCHEN is a percussionist, instrument inventor and designer of interactive architectural installations. He studied tablas for 10 years with Kadar Khan and Anand Kumar Mallick, and Indian vocal & music theory with Ghulam Mohammed Khan. Recent studies have included master classes with Ustad Zakir Hussein, South Indian Percussion with T.S. Nandakumar and continuing tabla studies with Pandit Samir Chattergee. He has performed and recorded with David Van Tieghem, Laurie Anderson, and Bill Laswell among others and may be heard on the following CD’s produced by Bill Laswell; Sacred System Nagual Site, Sacred System II, Raoul Bjorkenheim & N. Skopelitis Revelator.
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10. Isabel Samaras, FF ALumn, at Shooting Gallery, SF, opening September 16.
Isabel Samaras, FF Alumn, is included in the upcoming exhibition “Tiki Art Two: The Second Coming of a New Art God”, opening Friday, September 16, at the Shooting Gallery. This unique array of neo-primitive images is captured in a 112 page full color catalog available through the gallery (sales@shootinggallerysf.com or call 415-931-8035). You can preview Isabel’s pieces on the shooting gallery website (URL below).
Shooting Gallery
839 Larkin St.
San Francisco CA 94109
www.shootinggallerysf.com
Isabel’s work can be viewed in all its sordid glory at: www.devilbabe.com
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11. Michael Smith, FF Alumn, at Joymore, Brooklyn, thru September 10 + NY Times review.
By THE NEW YORK TIMES, Published: August 19, 2005
‘PRECIOUS MOMENTS’ Mall culture, with its peculiar poignancies, is the theme of “Precious Moments,” a smart, sad five-person group show organized by the artist Josh Kline. Liz Rywelski, a member of the Space 1026 collective in Philadelphia, sets the tone with two large series of photographic portraits, of which she is the subject. She had the pictures taken in photo studios of Kmarts and Wal-Marts across the country. At each store, she told the staff a story, real or invented, about her life, then let them style the image they felt was most “her.” In some, she looks like a schoolgirl, in others like a matron, in still others like a country-western star. And in all of them, she is a passive screen on which other people can project tastes, expectations and fantasies.
Brian Belott deals in found-fantasy, too, but in a more hands-on way. He collects packets of lost or abandoned snapshots from junk shops and trash bins, chooses those that interest him, and arranges them in cheap albums by theme: dozens of pictures of televisions, say, or middle-American dining rooms decorated for holidays. Although there’s an occasional hint of a narrative, people rarely appear; he lets their snapshots of the things they value, and an illusion of individuality common to us all, speak for them.
Shana Moulton raises illusion to the spiritual plane in a video titled “Whispering Pines No. 5” (above), in which she plays a New Ager named Cynthia, who performs rituals of regeneration while wearing an American Indian blanket. Or rather an electric blanket – mall-bought, no doubt – printed with American Indian motifs. But for true mall realness, you must turn to two other artists. From Walead Beshty comes a picture of a boarded-up “dead mall,” only a few years old and already killed by the competition.
And from Michael Smith, FF Alumn, the show’s senior artist, there is an unnerving document of a mall of yesteryear. In his photographic cartoon strip, “The Biggest Building in the World,” dated 1982-2005, the artist appears wandering through an indoor plaza, in a self-contained and inviting commercial ecosystem, that turns out to be the main concourse of the World Trade Center. (Joymore, 236 Grand. Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (646) 270-0376, through September 10.)
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~~end~~
Goings On are compiled weekly by Harley Spiller
Click http://www.franklinfurnace.org/goings_on.html
to visit ‘This Month’s World Wide Events’.
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