‘Doc’ PAUL H-O
and, ‘Doc’ TOM DONAHUE (co-directors) ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’ at the afterparty,
THE CUTTING ROOM, NYC, TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL, APRIL 27, 2008
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
. . . BRING ON THE ‘DOCS’ !!!
as in . . doc-u-mentary !!
. . . from full-length (low budget) Indies like: ELEPHANT EYE’S ‘PLANET B-BOY’, and now, FILMLIKE’S ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’ – to – big time – TV ‘Docs’ like SUNDANCE CHANNEL’S ‘NIMROD NATION’, and that other great TV sleeper – PBS.ORG’S – ‘CARRIER’/chronicling life on the nuke-powered warrior ship USS NIMITZ !! – to –
. . . in-your-face, (no-budget) mini-Indies !!! – such as those 4 short clips – screened at the journal Gallery last Sat – as part of their recent ‘Being True’/NIKE (‘hipster/slacker/skater’) American documentary photo/exhibit curated by EMMA REEVES and AARON ROSE, (who also curated the screening) and, better believe it – !! – no mini-Indie presentation, anytime !! soon – is gonna beat that screening – for sheer juice & stun gun impact – this – one time only – swift stab in the night showing – in terms of: line-up, talent, and on-the-edge presentation – totally flew over (and under) the radar – dead straight/ahead of the curve.
what can I say – beyond the obvious – it blew me away – just like ‘PLANET B-BOY’ and ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’.
. . . the key, is – not just that these are ‘Docs’ – it’s that these are brilliant ‘Docs’ – and, they just seem to be coming at us fast & furious – from what looks to be all sides – they are, simply put, some of the best stuff being put forward in NYC, right now. kinda, like that big wave of comic-inspired art – that hit NYC a couple of seasons back, which despite a current, & brutal, turf shake-down – still pulses strong.
. . . look at this, its like a boxer getting beat up – to warm up & go on to win – first ‘PLANET B-BOY’ touches down in NYC, a few weeks ago, and, unknown to us – that was just the beginning, the ‘Doc’ momentum just kept on rollin’ – with exceptional ‘Docs’ & ‘Doc’ style shows – hitting the deck running, every time – ahead of the curve, right on the mark, totally down and totally entertaining – and completely without warning – within the space of less than a week, you got Paul H-O & Tom Donahue’s ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’ opening at the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL & then, 3 days later – the 4 ‘Being True’/NIKE clips at the journal Gallery.
(profiled in post below)
look out !! – The ‘Docs’ are coming back, not just to re-claim their fair share of the ‘art’ product turf – but, hopefully, to muscle in on some of that art ‘product’ cash flow – CINDY SHERMAN, NAN GOLDIN – move over !!
How many ‘Doc’ pix – did you see in ELI BROAD’S collection – ? EXACTLY. that’s what I mean – none !! – his collection was so behind the curve, as to be absolutely embarrassing. well, that’s the great thing about art – art moves on !! and you gotta follow the flow – and the flow is: the ‘Docs’ vs. the ‘Posers’ !! and in APRIL 2008 – the ‘Docs’ are winning.
(who said ‘posed’/staged/theatrical photos outrank or beat the archival photo, as ‘art’ product – anyways ? I’d like to punch ’em out – well. ok. back in the 80’s they were pretty hot.)
bye the way – ‘Poser’ in this case – refers to ‘posed’ or ‘staged’ photos, and, after-the-fact bio pix, and definitely what is, today – mostly, all deadbeat stale & staged – performance art.
unless you want to consider THE DARK FAIR – performance art – and I do !!
and . . . yo!, we don’t mean the ‘ULTIMATE POSERS’ – that’s a whole other POSER category – those guys are very much in the ‘Doc’ game. the NATE LOWMAN/DAN COLEN, ‘WET PAIN’ show at MACCARONE – was very much a NYC ‘Doc’/style show !!
we include RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA, URS FISHER, maybe PAUL McCARTHY & definite, yes – the obvious hit of the month – RYAN McGINLEY – all as ‘Doc’ worthy !!
and, no – we don’t mean all we ever want to see is ‘Docs’ – we’ll ride that crazy DARK FAIR/MILWAUKEE INTERNATIONAL train – any old day. It’s just a matter – of stopping – to state the obvious – ‘Doc’ is the flavor flav of SPRING 2008 – NYC.
a great graphic design is still a great graphic design – & – you still jump – when one comes your way. in fact – this year’s SENIOR CLASS – GRAPHIC DESIGN/ADVERTISING at SVA – really rocked the art student/young professional turf – they contributed a lot of buzz to artlovers to follow up on – esp the SAGMEISTER show – so much so – here’s a shout out to them – they graduate this MAY 2008 – congrats!
comic/illustration still rocks much of the art here. PICTUREBOX, TAYLOR McKIMENS, MATT LEINES, the CINDERS crew, BRIAN CHIPPENDALE, even BRIAN BELOTT – some of the new street artists – they are just gonna get bigger, and bigger.
but all-in-all, those guys made their big splash – upon arrival – their wave has hit and – now a new wave is coming in – ‘staged’ photo/tableaus/re-created narratives/stilted or academic performance pieces are out !! the ‘Docs’ – are back – and want back in – big time !!
in fact, if you look no further, than that old ‘lost-it’ scourge of an art magazine – the APRIL 2008 – ARTFORUM – its mostly all ‘Doc’ realism/or aiming for ‘Doc’ realism – almost all the way through – the endless parade of paid for/full color/full page gallery ads. (though as usual, the commentary is pretty much a waste of time) – whether actual photography – or painting/drawing – ‘Doc’ aesthetics rule – from the black and white TOMOO GOKITA display at TAKA ISHII GALLERY in TOKYO; to more technically – RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA’S ‘Foster You’re Dead’ poster at GALLERIA EMI FONTANA in MILAN; to MARK TANSEY at FAURSCHOU.COM, wherever that is – to EIJA-LIISA AHTILA at MARIAN GOODMAN in New York, to GREGORY CREWDSON at LUHRING AUGUSTINE in New York, WHITE CUBE in LONDON, and GAGOSIAN in Los Angeles; (ok, the CREWDSONS are staged – but yell ‘Doc’ – so we’re letting them in) – to the obvious – archival PETER HUJAR photos at MATTHEW MARKS, and – the not-so-obvious – also in New York, at L & M ARTS – the Chinese artist TIANBING LI – whose documentary painting style him sets him, in my mind’s eye – right on top of that huge Asian horde wanting to devour the artworld beast, so badly, though, let’s be honest – if that CHINA market isn’t the artworld equivalent of a con – what is ? well, what do I know ’bout making money ? that’s just my consensus on the actual contemporary art being shlepped to and from there. but, someone who’s been there – told me, even 2nd generation Chinese Americans who make it (very very big) in international finance/law, whatever – as well as most other native (super wealthy) Asians, like filling their huge homes up with Chinese or South Asian artifacts, whether it be antiques or contemporary art. . put it this way – they ain’t big on collecting AMERICAN FOLK ART, be it SHAKER ART or AMERICAN VINTAGE QUILTS !! if they can be talked into buying CHUCK CLOSE – remains to be seen !!
but, . . . back to the case at hand – the ‘Docs’.
Julian Schnabel’s ‘BASQIUAT’, and even, ‘BEFORE NIGHT FALLS’ – were great – but !! both were actually formatted as: documentaries – by someone who could pull it off !! – the #1 question that young artists hitting this town ask – is – “was ‘BASQUIAT’ a true rendition” – and yes, it was, & it still is one of the greatest art movies ever made – but, the big diff from then to now – is – that ‘PLANET B-BOY’ and ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman” – are true ‘Docs’ !! – the real people – the real talent – in their real story, in their real time – pretty much caught – as they were living it, making their art moment – LIVE !! . Art and it seems, movie making has caught up to real time. ONDI TOMONER and VASCO NUNES caught the vibe, early on – as anyone who saw early footage of the JOSH HARRIS/QUIET PARTY or the commercially released ‘DIG!’ already knows.
just to add some perspective – can you just picture a bunch of pro theatrical Broadway dancers re-creating ‘PLANET B-BOY’ ? that’s such a ridiculous concept, such an ugly scenario – it just cracks me up – and, who else could play Paul H-O & CINDY SHERMAN – better than, they do !!
Paul H-O, video camera in hand – made to feel like a second cousin, if that – to Cindy’s capital A ART photography.
it’s interesting to stop and consider – that – ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’ – is really about 2 – two !! – polarities – it’s not just about the polarity of male and female – it’s also about the polarity of artist/photographer (Cindy) vs. ‘Doc’/photographer (Paul H-O). Not only does it give us exceptional bird’s eye views of how each side ‘creates’ – but it also – very much shows us which side is/was favored by the artworld at that time – it was a very unbalanced and very unwarranted bias in favor of staged – ‘I am art’ product. What was wrong with the artworld – or really the big collectors, who determine and actually define – the market – at that time – (and now too, probably). Are they that unsubtle that they can only perceive art that is “plated” for them. how can any serious art maven – miss out on the significance, beauty and can-never-be reproduced ‘art’ of the Documentary photo ?
In fact, Cindy’s work began as a kind of send up of the ‘Doc.’ And, her camera is also focused solely on herself – but not in real time – not as a visual journal – but as ‘making a point ‘ – ‘creating a fantasy’ – a personal ability to be camo/girl in ‘mock-up’ land. Most of Cindy Sherman’s work (nix on those clown photos, ugh) is great art – no matter how you slice and dice it – but it’s not the only genre – why should it be the only photo on the a wall – in that huge grouping in ELI BROAD/LA AA land ? Paul H-O might yet, get the final word. or at least a respectful re-evaluation from a new hipper generation. His ‘Doc’ photo art – is just as intense, just maybe not as capital A ART as Cindy’s.. His photo art is more akin to a digital version of ‘wake and bake’ – you know – like, when you wake up and the first thing you do is get stoned, that’s called ‘wake & bake ‘ – except in this case, it was – wake & film. the video camera diary vs. the staged portrait – why can’t it be both that score the artworld gold. the newly appreciated ‘Doc’ rush looks to be real. though these ‘Docs’ – are definitely not !! stoner ‘Docs’ – in the least !! – nor, could you term them ‘reality’ shows – without getting kicked in the face. though obviously, YouTube – and digital camera culture – helped set the tone.
one last word: on ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’ – actually one of the things so fascinating about the film – is – how well – it gets across Cindy’s game – there is no put down of her work – but the role of observer is so well done by the ‘Doc’ behind the camera of the film – that the Eli Broads of the world – just can’t make the leap.
(bye the way, heard that Cindy Sherman and Nan Goldin hate each other – oops – we weren’t supposed to say that – if this needs to come down – so be it !! can’t resist the low-down, for the moment.)
SO, . . who else is in the ‘Doc’ game ?
besides the filmmakers above, and of course the 22 young artist/photographers in ’22 YEARS OF AMERICAN YOUTH’ – ‘BEING TRUE’/NIKE – that surfaced recently at the journal Gallery.
#1 – all those great ROCK N’ ROLL chroniclers, of any decade !!!
AARON ROSE’S ANP QUARTERLY is great ‘Doc’ art magazine.
and, well, no brainer – how about last Fall’s LARRY CLARK show (SEPT 8-OCT 13, 2007) at LUHRING AUGUSTINE – it’s so obviously the grand daddy – so therefore, its so easy to overlook – but the show’s poster – the only poster from that season, still up on our wall – just keeps on rollin’ – looking better and better, as time passes. and you can include ‘KIDS’ here, too. HARMONY KORINE is all about ‘Doc’ style. AGNES B – seems to get it !!
if you wanna to walk the wild side – than, that’d be – my pal, PORTS BISHOP – and if you wanna get really wild – I’d throw artlovers right into the mix, too, cause if I’m not gonna – who is ?
. . . like the APRIL 29 BlackBook Insider!! says – “Breaking out is hard to do !!”
those guys, BlackBook – finally – sent out their first decent missive – they got one nano-second to throw something your way – !! – what else – 3 documentary portrait photos: COLIN MELOY leaving the DECEMBERISTS, in San Francisco; PETER MOREN, of Peter Bjorn and John, attempting a solo flight in Los Angeles; and ADAM YAUCH (MCA) of the Beastie Boys .. who is, quote: “Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot when he discusses his new documentary!! at the Apple Store in SoHo . . . so support these guys in their solo endeavors, because .. as they say, breaking out is hard to do.”
A SELECTION FROM THE AD PAGES OF ARTFORUM/APRIL 2008:
RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA, ‘FOSTER, YOU’RE DEAD’, APRIL 3-31 MAY, 2008,
Galleria Emi Fontana, Milano
PETER HUJAR, Matthew Marks Gallery, New York
‘Doc’ style painting – MARK TANSEY, ‘FIX’ , 2000, OIL ON CANVAS, 30 x 46 ins. Faurschou/Copenhagen/Beijing
‘Doc’ style drawing – TOMOO GOKITA, APRIL 1-26, 2008, Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo
‘Doc’ style painting – TIANBING LI, ‘ME AND MY BROTHER, MARCH 20-APRIL 26, 2008,
L & M ARTS, New York
~BRING ON THE ‘DOCS’ !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 30th, 2008, 11:44am
the journal Gallery – INVITES Y’ALL TO A SCREENING OF 4 FILMS BY ARTISTS FEATURED IN THEIR CURRENT EXHIBIT – ‘Being True’ – to-nite !! – SATURDAY – APRIL 26, 2008 – 8pm.
the journal Gallery – 168 North 1st STREET – BROOKLYN
’22 YEARS OF AMERICAN YOUTH’/’BEING TRUE’/A GROUP SHOW OF PHOTOGRAPHS BY 22 AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHERS/CURATED BY EMMA REEVES and AARON ROSE/SPONSORED BY NIKE
“In celebration of the spirit of ‘Being True’, curators EMMA REEVES and AARON ROSE offer us
another lens through which to experience those who dare to use self expression as a vehicle to provoke through their work. Selected from the exhibition’s 22 contributing artists, BRENT STEWART, ARI MARCOPOULOS, JEANEEN Lund, and TOBIN YELLAND present 4 unique films that commemorate the essence of ‘Being True’.” – press release
the films:
THE ALUMINUM FOWL (2006)
Directed by JAMES CLAUER with still photographs by ‘Being True’ contributor BRENT STEWART. Produced by HARMONY KORINE. A glimpse of four brothers’ daily obsessions with chickens, rap, music, and aliens. (13 mins.)
CRAIG KELLY (2008)
Directed by ARI MARCOPOULOS. A “work-in-progress” version of a feature length documentary based on the life of world-champion snowboarder CRAIG KELLY. An intimate look at the life of the great athlete and charismatic personality who was sadly killed in an avalanche in 2003.
(20 mins.)
VIVA MORRISSEY! (2006)
Directed by JESSICA HUNDLEY, with still photographs by ‘Being True’ contributor JEANEEN LUND. (10 mins.)
THORN AND TOAD (2003)
Directed by TOBIN YELLAND. “Thorn and Toad is two sides of a story about a fight. I basically filmed each story and cut them together. I’ve known Thorn for fifteen years and Toad for around ten.” – T. (4 mins.)
UP-DATE: MONDAY APRIL 28, 2008
it was an amazing screening – intense, hyper, brief, (brief as hell!!) – and stunning. absolutely stunning. it was like watching a snowflake implode !! – blink – and, too bad !! – you missed it – losers !!
SOME PIX FROM THE APRIL 26, 2008 SCREENING
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
THE ALUMINUM FOWL (20060
Directed by JAMES CLAUER with still photographs by ‘Being True contributor BRENT STEWART. Produced by harmony Korine. (13 mins.)
THE ALUMINUM FOWL – bored to death – with their dead end lives, even though still so young, and strong – 4 brothers down south – say of their culture – all we got to do down here, is kill things to watch them die. and one pulls off a chicken’s head. like he does it all the time – no big deal, and we watch its death twirl and final stop.
one brother was obsessed with twisting silver foil around everything and everyone. he seemed kind of dumb. the first bro profiled, above, who alternately loved and lived with the chickens, and then killed some, (ones that he didn’t live with !!) was our fave. he felt like a natural writer/storyteller. he was also the main narrator. one another bro – was totally awesome – not many words – very aggressive. he just got on his BMW and rode/pedaled as fast as he could down a long long stretch of smoothly paved mall concrete, and just flew off the end/embarkment, a sudden drop-off of at least 4 feet. fearless. absolutely sure of his physical skill. the smartest. you really felt his life, his potential for skills was really being wasted by his poverty & rural dead end up-bringing.
THE ALUMINUM FOWL
THE ALUMINUM FOWL – a chicken farm
CRAIG KELLY (2008)
Directed by Ari Marcopoulos. a kaleidoscopic of archival footage of world-champion snowboarder CRAIG KELLY, as he flies by board, at great speed, over uncharted virgin snow fields down steeply inclined mountain ranges.
He was also fearless and one with his speed. the stun element in this clip – was powerfully visual – the speed & and the snowscapes rushing by. the stun element in the first clip – was also visual – but also psychological – for one, the dead chicken dance.
CRAIG KELLY
CRAIG KELLY
THORN AND TOAD (2003)
Directed by TOBIN YELLAND. (4 mins.) the kid is saying something like ..”the world is full of really tough people. and I’m not that tough.. or .. I’m not tough enough ( .. to keep from getting beat…)
VIVA MORRISSEY! (2006)
Directed by JESSICA HUNDLEY, with still photographs by ‘Being True’ contributor JEANEEN LUND. (10 mins.)
A portrait of the Los Angeles based LATINO MORISSEY FAN CLUB. It was was formatted as a standard rock documentary – except its focus on this niche of Angeleno MORRISSEY fans was – very telling, and gave it a uniqueness.
VIVA MORRISSEY
this clip was unique for its subjects – Angeleno MORRISSEY fans – definite self-described outsiders – who really really relate to the lyrics and soul of the MORRISSEY music.
definitely not – the beautiful loser hipsters of RYAN McGINLEY’S MORRISSEY tour photos. nor even the beautiful slackers of LARRY CLARK. but beautiful, stunningly so, nonetheless in their own dark secret way, esp when we see them partying up close in mixed male/female big (hot chemistry) groups. they become very charismatic – when comfortable among their peers or just talking individually – all centered around – you got it – MORRISSEY.
VIVA MORRISSEY
VIVA MORRISSEY
VIVA MORRISSEY
x
VIVA MORRISSEY
VIVA MORRISSEY
MICHAEL NEVIN and KATHY LO, outside the journal Gallery, evening of the screening
JOSH PORTER, center in light green shirt, ASSOCIATE BRAND MANAGER, NIKE, setting up
the journal founder MICHAEL NEVIN, with JULIA DIPPELHOFFER, the Managing Editor of the journal (and also his wife)
photograph behind them – ‘C4, FOUR FINGERS’ – by CHERYL DUNN, SAN FRANCISCO, 1998
the journal event photographer KATHY LO.
Her photos documenting events at the journal Gallery are regularly posted on the journal/website.
She took these photos, featured on a previous artlovers post: ‘TRUE BEING’/NIKE opening
(is this cliche – but does she remind anyone else of MAY PANG, when she was a young, and casual, photographer of JOHN LENNON, during his “LOST WEEKEND” – as chronicled in archival pix in her very moving, newly released book – ‘instamatic karma’ – ‘photographs of John Lennon’ by May Pang’ ?)
HISHAM BHAROOCHA drops by
filmmaker/photographer TOBIN YELLAND
TOBIN YELLAND – ‘ETHAN FOWLER’ – BENICIA, California, 1995
TOBIN YELLAND: . . . “we were driving out of San Francisco to go skate Benicia or Santa Rose skatepark … Ethan was 17 and we just filmed a video part for a new company he started riding for. He is basically at the height of his power as a skateboarder. He makes everything look effortless on and off his board…. I choose this image because this photograph embodies enjoying the fruits of hard work and still throwing caution to the wind and above all knowing the importance of having a good time!”
ALAIN LEVITT – ‘CAB’ – LOWER EAST SIDE, New York, 2001
POPPY De VILLENEUVE – ‘THE GANG’ – QUEMADO, Texas, 2007
NAOMI HARRIS – ‘THRILLER’ – MICHAEL JACKSON TRIAL, SANTA MARIA, California, 2005
TERRY RICHARDSON – ‘METAL HEAD KIDS’ – NEW JERSEY, 1996
the journal – archival issue/entry 19/Spring 2007 – artwork by AUREL SCHMIDT
the journal Gallery
~BEING TRUE/4 FILMS/the journal Gallery/to-nite!! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 26th, 2008, 12:29pm
MICHEL GONDRY dropped by the GARY PANTER opening at CLEMENTINE, APRIL 4, 2008 – as well – !! – to the delight of many . . . who seemed to be great fans of the GONDRY helmed, totally original – & visionary – flick – ‘BE KIND REWIND’ !!
see: ‘BE KIND REWIND’ FEB 16 – MARCH 22, 2008
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
MICHEL GONDRY greets us at the GARY PANTER opening. he knows us from our brief fling with public access TV stardom !!! on the celebrity quizz show – MARK KOSTABI’S ‘Name That Painting’ – and we even dared say, at some point – that perhaps this slapshot ‘game show’ production – might – ? – have provided some inspiration for Michel Gondry’s ‘BE KIND REWIND’ ?
oh oh – we introduce MICHEL GONDRY to JOE GRILLO !!!
MICHEL GONDRY meets another fan, street artist MICHAEL D’ANDRADE
MICHEL GONDRY’S son – PAUL GONDRY – an accomplished artist in his own right – Paul spilts his time between Paris and New York. A published comic book author – PAUL GONDRY directed (and drew) an animated music video for – the NYC band – The Willowz !!
It’s actually pretty good !! it’s actually pretty great !!
check it out: here !!/siouxwire
a frame from – PAUL GONDRY’S animated music video – ‘Take a look around’ – featuring the music of NYC band – The Willowz.
~MICHEL GONDRY/PAUL GONDRY/GARY PANTER OPENING |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 26th, 2008, 12:17pm
JOE GRILLO, of DEARRAINDROP, aka affectionately by his friends as JOE GORILLA, meets up with pals, including MISAKI KAWAI – at the recent GARY PANTER opening, CLEMENTINE, APRIL 4, 2008
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
on the far right – CHRIS KUCINSKI – he worked on the DEARRAINDROP crew that put together the DEARRAINDROP/SPHINX SHOW at DEITCH PROJECTS – back in the day.
(put: DEARRAINDROP – RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX – into the artlovers in-house SEARCH – for some links !!)
JOE GRILLO greets MISAKI KAWAI – warmly – !!
JOE GRILLO and MISAKI KAWAI ‘play for the camera’ – GARY PANTER OPENING, APRIL 4, 2008
MISAKI is up for Joe’s ‘throw-down’ !!!
JOE GRILLO and MISAKI KAWAI – who says the NYC artworld – “take themselves way too seriously !!” (oh yeah, the artlovers movie critic !! Jan Albert in her recent review of ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’ !!)
~JOE GRILLO/MISAKI KAWAI/GARY PANTER OPENING |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 26th, 2008, 12:16pm
‘GARY PANTER: Pictures from the Psychedelic Swamp: 1972-2001’
APRIL 4 – MAY 10, 2008
CLEMENTINE – 623 W27TH STREET – CHELSEA
the card for the show. GARY PANTER, ‘Untitled (detail)’, 1991, acrylic on canvas, 23 x 93 ins.
some pix from the opening, FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
GARY PANTER at the opening. one big claim, among many, to fame – designed Pee-Wee Herman’s playhouse !!
currently teaches illustration at SVA (School of Visual Arts, NYC)
more bio/info: PICTUREBOX
DAVID HEATLEY checks out the GARY PANTER boxed book – at the front desk
artworld scribe – CARLO McCORMICK with his family, wife TESS and young son.
CARLO has a witty, not to mention informed – scoop on – dog poop art – the state of the art – street crew known as the SPRINKLE BRIGRADE – one of New York City’s answers to the ‘Graff’ crack down – in the latest OVERSPRAY, ISSUE #07. OVERSPRAY’S PUBLISHER/EDITOR-in-CHIEF being none other than East Village bred/West Village educated local talent – iO !!
see: OVERSPRAY MAG
young comic/illustration artist DAVID HEATLEY shows his book to DAN NADEL, of PICTUREBOX
DAVID HEATLEY, happy to catch Dan Nadel’s attention !!
DAVID HEATLEY, ‘MY BRAIN IS HANGING UPSIDE DOWN’ – ‘A GRAPHIC MEMOIR’
STEPHEN KEY and JOHN BREINER
MICHAEL D’ANDRADE. the character on his shirt is ‘Cheech Lizard’ – designed by Bode.
CAT LAUIGAN, illustration senior at PARSONS
JAMES FRANKLIN, also shows at CLEMENTINE, here in front of the GARY PANTER work
JUSTIN WALDRON, MISAKI KAWAI and ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST
talented sons of 2 different worlds – meet – NYC native son MICHAEL D’ANDRADE – meets PAUL GONDRY – the PARIS, FRANCE raised son of MICHEL GONDRY !!
GARY PANTER, leaving the opening, with his daughter – I believe her name is OLIVE SIENNA !!
CLEMENTINE
~PIX/GARY PANTER OPENING |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 26th, 2008, 12:15pm
Guest of Cindy Sherman
Directed by Paul H-O and Tom Donahue
Film Review
April 25, 2008 by JAN ALBERT
This extremely entertaining film packs a damn good story into its swift paced 88 minutes. The behind-the-scenes art scene gossip will be like catnip for the artlovers aficionado, but it also frames a genuinely compelling modern love affair that will appeal even to those who are only mildly curious about who’s hot and who’s not in the art world.
When we first meet our hero, a shaggy, genial charmer named Paul H-O
(Hasegawa-Overacker), he is about to be divorced and has just fallen in love with his first video camera. The film follows his real life rise and fall as host (along with Walter Robinson of Artnet) of GALLERYBEAT, an irreverent public access TV show that covered Soho back in the day; interviewing new and occasionally famous faces at the gallery and museum openings. Most definitely, a spiritual ancestor of artloversnewyork.com, in the days before the wide world web, GALLERYBEAT provided a slapstick, but telling look at a multi-million dollar crap game that generally takes itself way too seriously.
H-O and his co-director, Tom Donahue, establish his character by drawing on absolutely great archival footage from the GALLERYBEAT era and we see him interacting with a virtual Who’s Who of the art world, from stars like Brice Marden and Julian Schnabel (who throws an enjoyable snit on camera about the stupidity of the GALLERYBEAT hosts) and a slew of up and comers who have since gone on to fame and fortune, like Tracey Emin and Spencer Tunick. Then, he meets Cindy Sherman.
I would warrant that even if you are not into art world doings, you have heard the name, Cindy Sherman. An artist with a singular vision, she is her own muse. Over the years, she has submerged her own persona and made herself anew hundreds of times, photographing herself heavily made up and costumed as iconic movie stars like Marilyn, suburban housewives, trailer trash, post punk waifs, clowns, even male characters. Her body of work is widely collected and individual prints have sold for millions.
We watch Paul H-O and Cindy meet cute at the opening of one of her shows in the early 90’s. The sweetest part of the picture is watching sparks between them ignite as the notoriously private artist allows him to visit her studio and he woos her over a series of interviews. Eventually, they move in together and for a while they have a groovy thing going. He teaches her how to surf; she gives him entry to the epicenter of the art world. Soon, they meet each other’s families and are flying off to London and L.A. for Cindy’s openings, with Paul H-O compulsively videotaping every step of the way.
In addition to this intimate footage, Paul H-O charts the course of their affair through interviews with an incredible parade of witnesses and friends of the couple, like actresses Molly Ringwald, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Carol Kane, and art world comrades such as Robert Longo, Eli Broad, Roberta Smith, Ingrid Sischy and Eric Fischl, to name just a few.
Cindy gets ever richer and more famous. Paul gets in a fight with his landlord and goes bankrupt. GALLERYBEAT comes to an end and he can’t get a new project off the ground. His full time job becomes escorting Cindy around the world and he starts to feel pretty sorry for himself. The breaking point for him comes when they attend a glitzy function and he is placed rooms away from his significant other at a table with a place card reading, “GUEST OF CINDY SHERMAN”.
To her credit, Sherman comes off as about the most supportive mate in the world. She even encourages him to make a film exploring his confusion, but eventually she has had enough and Paul is history.
To his credit, despite acting tiresome and pathetic for a while, Paul H-O regains his sense of humor and uses this film to try to search for the meaning of it all. In one wonderful sequence, he calls into his favorite radio talk show and earnestly discusses his failed relationship with the two female hosts. In the eyes of some, he hit the big time, “caught the biggest wave of his life”, as one observer puts it, but blew it.
And this to me is what really resonates about GUEST OF CINDY SHERMAN.
Beyond the phalanx of famous and near famous faces, beyond my unease about the exploitation of a person who has gone out of her way to conceal her identity, then let herself go to fall in love with a guy who lives on camera, beyond the ironic take on the reality show our lives have become, is it’s naked examination of that delicate balance of power between male and female.
I have a number of friends who are in couples where the woman is the main breadwinner. Many of them claim to feel just fine about – “it’s no problem”. And it should be fine, but judging by the comments in this fascinating film from the lesser-known halves of power couples like Elton John and David Furnish, and Molly Ringwald and Panio Gianopoulos, and from the tale of Paul H-O, himself, I’d say, we’ve come a long way, Baby, but we still have a long way to go.
check out: ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’/official website
For show times – Sunday, April 27th – Saturday, May 7th 2008,
see:
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
~Guest of Cindy Sherman |
Posted in Movie Reviews | By Jan Albert | April 25th, 2008, 1:08pm
. . . that’s 27th Street to be specific.
word bubbling up from the artists, make that: friends!! of the artists – – is – that CLEMENTINE is closing !! and JEFFREY DEITCH snapped up TAYLOR McKIMENS – right away !!
. . the big question remaining – is: whose gonna grab MISAKI KWAI & MATT LEINES !!
TAYLOR McKIMENS at the MATT LEINES SHOW, CLEMENTINE, FEB 21, 2008
a brand new TAYLOR McKIMENS – painting – in the back office, CLEMENTINE, FEB 21, 2008
an iconic TAYLOR McKIMENS, back office, CLEMENTINE, FEB 21, 2008
TAYLOR McKIMENS and MATT LEINES – at the opening of the current CLEMENTINE show – ‘GARY PANTER: Pictures from the Psychedelic Swamp: 1972-2001’, which runs APRIL 4 – MAY 10, 2008. CLEMENTINE is situated at 623 W 27th ST in Chelsea.
detail, MATT LEINES, from his debut, and I guess, last, show at CLEMENTINE. his show – titled ‘The Righteous Age’ – ran from FEB 21 – MARCH 29, 2008
see: artlovers/’GO FIGURE’
detail, MATT LEINES, from ‘The Righteous Age’
detail, MATT LEINES, from ‘The Righteous Age’
MISAKI KAWAI, at the GARY PANTER opening, CLEMENTINE, APRIL 4, 2008
see: MISAKI’S ‘WINDOWS’/MACY’S
see: more pix from the MACY’S show
GARY PANTER, at the most recent CLEMENTINE opening, and the show currently up – ‘GARY PANTER: Pictures from the Psychedelic Swamp: 1972-2001’ – running APRIL 4 – MAY 10, 2008
GARY PANTER, large painting in the show. CLEMENTINE.
. . . whatever you might think of the CLEMENTINE girls, on a personal level – you have to give them credit for being the first, and the best venue – to give room to the new wave explosion of graphic/comic book/illustration art – that has come to dominate the New York City art scene.
who is going to take up the slack ? . . . gallerists !! better watch out – or – RED ROVER, RED ROVER – PICTUREBOX is gonna take over !!
‘GARY PANTER/GARY PANTER’ – a 2 volume, 688 page full-color monograph published by PICTUREBOX and available at the gallery, ($95).
~buzz from the street |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 25th, 2008, 11:28am
CONGRATS !! to our friend VASCO NUNES !!
first: PLANET B-BOY is still playing !! in NYC !!
Vasco Nunes was the Director of Cinematography for PLANET B-BOY.
see: the original POST for details & show times/LANDMARK SUNSHINE/DELANCEY
second: NIMROD NATION, on SUNDANCE CHANNEL – an 8 part series directed by BRETT MORGAN and photographed by PAUL MAILMAN, WOLFGANG HELD and VASCO NUNES – was just announced as this year’s recipient of the prestigious PEABODY AWARD recognizing distinguished achievement and meritorious public service – the oldest and most honored award in electronic media. The award ceremony will be in NYC on June 16, 2008.
from the press release: “The sweet sensitive ‘Nimrod Nation’ received a Peabody. This beautifully shot, eight-part documentary series from Sundance Chanel takes viewers into the heart of a small Michigan town.”
Nimrod Nation is still running on TV, and you can download episodes via website.
The website has an incredibly beautiful introductory loop – exceptional for the still images & the haunting sound track.
check out: NIMROD NATION/intro
check out: NIMROD
NATION/episodes
IMAGE COURTESY/NIMROD NATION
IMAGE COURTESY/NIMROD NATION
P.S. BRETT MORGAN, the lead producer of NIMROD NATION is also the Director of ‘CHICAGO 10’ – which was reviewed recently an artlovers by JAN ALBERT.
reed her review – ‘CHICAGO 10’
~VASCO NUNES/NIMROD NATION/PEABODY |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 24th, 2008, 1:58pm
. . . CERN ONE – YMI CREW – BROOKLYN – QUEENS – NYC
. . . ‘BALLOON HAT’/PROJECT’ CLIP !! – YO! ya gotta check this out – see: YouTube !!!
CERN ONE / YMI CREW / NYC
EDER / SAVADOR, BRAZIL
check out: inflatableminute.com
check out: addi’s new balloon art
~CERN ONE/BALLOON HAT |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 24th, 2008, 11:01am
from CERN ONE – YMI CREW:
tonight – LOWER EAST SIDE – dj party – THURSDAY APRIL 24, 2008
. . . 2 great art shows are up in the spot
. . . dopest music on da scene
. . . style wars on da screen!!
Teneleven – AVE C – between 10Tth and 11th STREETS – 9pm til !!!!!!!
~DJ PARTY at TENJUNE/to-nite |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 24th, 2008, 10:50am
