WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY is NOT just in the mix – he’s in the news, part & parcel of a real-time THREAD . . .
when I googled him, after posting those 2006 exhibit pix, post previous – lo, and behold, I found him in a far-out contemporary exhibit on Americana at the ACKLAND ART MUSEUM – of the UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA at CHAPEL HILL.
the exhibit titled ‘The Spectacular of Vernacular’ (!!) is a diverse group show of 25 contemporary artists that “embraces the rustic, the folkloric, and the humbly homemade . . . as well as the crass clash of street spectacle and commercial culture.”
the show which opened Jan 14, 2012 runs thru MARCH 18, 2012.
see: ‘The Spectacular of Vernacular’ – ACKLAND ART MUSEUM
in a sad note of just how much in the mix . . .
the Ackland Museum’s write-up on the show begins with a quote from MIKE KELLEY, who was found dead of an apparent suicide – this past Tues, Jan 31, 2012, and it goes thus:
Inspired by artist MIKE KELLEY’S observation that “the mass art of today is the folk art of tomorrow.”
see: MIKE KELLEY dead at 57 of apparent suicide/LA TIMES
see: MIKE KELLEY, influential artist/NEW YORK TIMES
well death will stop you in your tracks, won’t it. but in his honor . . .
vernacular – the everyday native ‘language’ is a great word to pair with Americana. let alone rhyme with spectacular. they sure have some peppy theorists and writers – over there in North Carolina. not to mention on point.
back on the web – Urban Dictionary pretty much nails it: vernacular – Urban Dictionary
according to the Independent Weekly, out of Durham, North Carolina, in a lively review of the show by JULIE THOMSON:
“Critic and theorist MAURICE BLANCHOT wrote the following about the everyday in 1969, saying that it is ‘what is most difficult to discover.’ This elusive quality about the things and places we see and experience every day extends to the vernacular . . .
The Ackland Art Museum’s current exhibition, ‘The Spectacular of Vernacular’ expands upon this term to include art that also encompasses local traditions and characteristics . . .”
Julie Thomson writes that William Christenberry has one of his small scale hand-built wooden replicas, of which he is almost, but not quite as well-known for, as his photographs . . . in the show: the ‘Palmist Building’ (1979) – “a detailed model of a country store owned by his great uncle in a small Alabama town.”
see: The Ordinary becomes Exceptional – at the Ackland, Independent Weekly
I’d say that calls for a few more pix !! and in fact these archival Christenberry photos, they do have a kind of sadness to their beauty, and they do offer a wordless but poignant reflection upon the relentlessness of time, and the ultimate end of all things, esp vernacular.
don’t they.
I’m also thinking, they sure do echo that quote of Mike Kelley’s: “the mass art of today – is the folk art of tomorrow.”
Amen, R.I.P. Mike Kelley.
from the exhibit, ‘WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY PHOTOGRAPHS: 1961-2005’, APERTURE FOUNDATION GALLERY, NYC – SUMMER 2006
PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY.
a storefront porch – maybe the very one mentioned above ?
if not – pretty much in the same vernacular !!
detail, PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY.
PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY.
PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY.
PHOTOS FROM THE SUMMER 2006 APERTURE – ‘CHRISTENBERRY’ exhibit: NANCY SMITH
~WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY . . in the news. right along with MIKE KELLEY, sadly. |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 3rd, 2012, 10:01am
also from the artlovers photo vault . . . and back in the mix: American ‘realist’ photographer – WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY.
if you don’t know this guy’s work – you should !!
American photographer WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY at the opening of an extensive retrospective of his work, titled: ‘William Christenberry Photographs: 1961-2005’, APERTURE FOUNDATION GALLERY, CHELSEA, NYC. JULY 6, 2006.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
born in 1936, at the time of this opening William Christenberry was a vigorous 70 . . .
he comes to mind – because of the way 2012 – is unfurling, art-wise. I came across these pix – as I searched thru my hard copy 35mm archive for the Eric White photo, previous post. the photos were taken in the same month, July – back in the summer of 2006 . . . they rang so true – I had to put them – up !!
WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY (1936-)
“Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1936, William Christenberry grew up in the ‘deep south’ where the old road signs, deteriorating buildings, and dirt roads shaped his boyhood memories. In 1954, Christenberry began his academic career at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa where he studied the fine arts and graduated with a Master of Arts in Painting in 1959. During his early career, Christenberry was primarily a painter, but began incorporating the use of a Brownie camera into his working procedures. In 1961 he moved to New York (that would make him 25 !! take note – oh, current Brooklyn hipsters !!) . . . It was here that Christenberry befriended Walker Evans” (!!) . . . “Christenberry believes that all objects leave their individual mark on the landscape as time passes, even when the object is destroyed in reality.” – source: AMERICAN ART/PHILLIPS COLLECTION
PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY
William Christenberry is known for his iconic photos of the American south . . . where he grew up.
PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY
some of the most fascinating images were the portraits of a shrub-like weed called KUDZU, ‘devouring’ abandoned houses.
detail, PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY
KUDZU is actually a “climbing, coiling, trailing vine” that climbs over trees or shrubs (or houses !!) and grows so rapidly it kills its
host by its heavy shading, which deprives them of light. wow – it’s a plant-eater, house-destroyer – organic bio hazard kill-ah.
Native to Japan – this predator weed was most interestingly introduced (unknowingly ? I’m guessing . . ) into the United States through the Japanese Pavilion of the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. (!!) It is now “common among roadsides and other undisturbed areas throughout most of the southeastern United States. Kadzu has been spreading at the rate of 150,000 acres annually.” (!!) source: WIKIPEDIA/KADZU
PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY – an old house, just about to be ‘organically’ – bio-attacked and accelerated in its natural decomposition !!
and looks to be, not just by Kudzu, either. all the other ‘domestic’ southern vegetation is taking over, too.
detail, PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY
PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY . .. oh oh – pretty far gone.
detail, PHOTO by WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY
WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY EXHIBITION PHOTOGRAPHS BY: NANCY SMITH
~WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY . . . in the mix |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 2nd, 2012, 10:32am
FILE UNDER: flash from the past !!
painter ERIC WHITE – at the RICH JACOBS opening, FUSE GALLERY, NYC. JULY 23, 2006.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
I knew I had a photo of this guy. if not a couple. here he is at the memorable Rich Jacobs opening – a few years back. make that 6 years back.
ERIC WHITE is the moving-to-the-forefront-quick ‘realist’ painter whose ‘magic’ realism portrait of MIE in the show: ‘MIE: A Portrait by 35 Artists’ – was hi-lighted in our JANUARY 2012 posts.
the show is still up at FREIGHT+VOLUME – it runs thru FEB 25, 2012.
see: the Jan 2012 post !!
American realism and portraiture – seem to be the trends going into the new season.
as opposed to 2011 – which could be called: THE YEAR of the ANIMAL, from MAURIZIO CATTELAN at the Guggenhiem with his swinging taxidermied dogs and horses, onto the imaginary realm of the ‘snoop-doggy dog‘ of the J.T. YOST comics, published on Bird Cage Bottom Books, no less (!!) and even including Andrew Guenther’s ‘Talking to a Fish’ !!
yep, look back over the coverage. almost every exhibit of last year had some animal reference, even if it was just the ROCKAWAY FESTIVAL of the BEES happening the same day as the skateboarder ‘SERGEV VUTU & LELE – LIVE IN THE USA’ show at, where else: ELK (!!). even that URS FISCHER laminated & illustrated table show – had some little bird, or chick and egg . . table accessories !!
not to forget – the grandaddy of them all . . . ‘Put A Bird on It’ – oh, PORTLANDIA !!
and yes, !! even down to the that yummy pit roasted pig – that got made and eaten right on the spot – at RIRKRIT TIRAVINJA’s ‘Fear Eats the Soul’ !!
I mean even CHARLIE FINCH’S dingleberry is an animal – albeit a whole colony of micro-bacteria. well, it sure ain’t a fruit – you’d be want to be popping into your mouth, any time soon, let’s leave it at that.
yep, no doubt about it 2011 – was the YEAR of the ANIMAL.
by contrast 2012 – is the year of the head-space, the mind, and its mental archive. not to forget that any ‘mind’ definition most def includes – the polar opposite mental activity . . . of archiving: andthat would be: the imagination.
abstract art kinda blew in, or tried to – but only in the mainstream press. in the underground we always knew – 2012 THE YEAR of the DRAGON was all about ‘magic’ realism and portraiture. including of course, photography and archiving. nothing abstract bout that.
p.s. except of course – we let in GERALD FERGUSON, because that was more like man thinking – than man making abstract art.
p.s. except of course – we let STEVE REINKE’S spotted hyena – onto the 2012 scene, as our animal mascot & totem – why ?
for its timely survival strategy !! that’s why !! and that’s a thinking thing, get it ?
as in, the realm of the human mind.
I mean wouldn’t REINKE translate roughly . . . as – the ‘king’ ?.
2012 – THE YEAR of the ‘MAN’ KING – NO ANIMALS – ALLOWED . . .
~ERIC WHITE . . . no animals allowed (!!) |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 2nd, 2012, 10:20am
so all things considered – it looks like fashion scribe EDWARD BARSAMIAN and the NEW YORK TIMES nailed it when they published (Jan 15, 2012) this most on-point dress from PRABAL GURUNG’S first pre-fall collection.
the exquisite, thin shirt-collar dress with its black edging and elegant black & white ‘cosmic’ geo-print – caught the very essence and edge of the black water (!!) Chinese New Year of the Dragon – 2012.
and dig those shiny black shirt sleeve cuffs !! so tailored, or what.
at first I wasn’t sure about that extra flap at the back – but now I absolutely adore it. it’s so fashion forward. it’s so like, empowering. when (lucky !!) you wear that dress – you know – you are state-of-the-art.
and the big pink translucent shades – !!
at first you wondered: what the hell, in winter . . . til the solar storm hit and the weather goes south in the North East. wow, maybe they weren’t kidding – about how much we need that ozone layer.
read: ‘In Rehearsal’, by EDWARD BARSAMIAN – NEW YORK TIMES
PRABAL GURUNG, at the Spring 2008 Bill Blass fashion show/GETTY IMAGES/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
He spent almost 5 years at Bill Blass before launching his own line in 2009.
. . . and, here’s a sweet web journey !! check this out.
not just a fashionista’s dream – it’s also a feast for any graphic designer worth their weight in clean machine design.
well, seriously – anybody visual will love it. incl cutting edge comic book artists !!
check out: PRABAL GURUNG – OFFICIAL WEBSITE – with a link to a video – of that right-on pre-fall 2012 collection.
~PRABAL GURUNG . . . |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | January 31st, 2012, 8:47am
. . . this is what it feels like – to be a blogger.
Fu Baoshi’s ”Goddess Crossing the Xiang River’, an undated hanging scroll.
image from: THE NEW YORK TIMES, FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012
you feel ethereal, as you move forward, you leave a trail not much more tangible than a series of wisps of smoke on the ‘web’ – a trail of smoke signals, a plume of brush strokes behind you. as you pass, like a transparent ghost . . . through the ever-bubbling human mind, plural.
there is no hard copy – the smoke signals exist only on the flutter and wind of the unseen wireless web . . . if this crashes, so does the info.
it is all about motion.
and so is this pen-and-ink brushwork . . . all about motion.
well, when you look at this Chinese painter’s work – these are the kind of thoughts that come to mind, even though the works are ‘realist’, as in earth-bound . . . they take off into the unknown and the divine – the timeless mysteries of mankind, looking backwards . . . while plotting the specifics of the here-and-now from which they spring.
FU BAOSHI, ‘The Far Snows of Minshan Only Make Us Happy’, (1951). image: NEW YORK TIMES
just dig – that small trail of soldiers along the bottom – right !!
the show at hand, titled ‘Chinese Art in an Age of Revolution: Fu Baoshi (1904-1965)’ just went up at the MET/Metropolitan Museum of Art, and ROBERTA SMITH gave it a wonderful write-up in this Friday’s (JAN 27, 2012) NEW YORK TIMES Weekend Arts section. not only does she lay-out the basic ‘geometry’ of the show, and the ‘history’ of the artist superbly – but in this case – she does so with that magic literary touch – that lets the artwork escape back into the ‘magic’ realm from whence they came. after all this is an artist who more than not, stamped his brushwork forays: “Often After Being Drunk.”
which is a lot like being on the web too. and, you are talking to who ? and you are reaching out into what ? and going where ?
and somehow it all adds up to a ‘realism’ – an aggregate collective consciousness greater than the parts. we used to be star gazers, now we are . . . web gazers.
I also really liked how the pen and ink brushwork of FU BAOSHI resonates with the brushwork of the contemporary young artists in the previous post, ELIJAH BURGHER and STEVE REINKE. from the paranormal, through the magic realism to the lyrical earth-based animal fables. from time immemorial man always picked up pen and brush to capture this world – but also to travel, to stretch the imagination and along the way, possibly, yes !! – open the pathways of knowledge . . . grabbing with inspiration and intuition the: just beyond – knowing. connecting the dots and following the bread crumb trails . . . to the future.
I also liked how she wrote about “Fu, a fervant devotee of the ancient tradition of Chinese brush-and-ink painting . . . often walked a kind of tightrope through the tumultuous times” of Chinese history from the 1911 Chinese Revolution, through the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-45, and finally through the aggressive Communist upheavals of the 40s. she continues: “His trajectory is the subject of an intriguing up-and-down survey. . . It suggests that Fu, who came from very humble circumstances and was largely self-taught, was sustained by exceptional talent and a steely yet flexible dedication to his art. His skill and refinement, as well as his willingness to adapt, pervade this show, which is serene on the surface but less so beneath.”
so much like the bi-polar survival instinct of the ‘spotted hyena’ – profiled immediate post below, or what.
FU BAOSHI’s struggles to retain the ‘magic’ realism of Chinese brushwork vs. the color-block literalism of Soviet-style ‘Social Realism’ – as Communist China played out – also receives an interesting mention in this article.
also of note: apparently the MET has so graciously brought us an under-hyped artist – as their first featured 20th century Chinese pen-and-brush master !! that’s so magic unto itself !!
though it’s also interesting to learn from Roberta that better-known figures, “like Fu’s contemporary ZHANG DAQIAN (1864-1957) or the elder QI BAISHI (1864-1983)” have made art world headlines recently, whose work “thanks to the enthusiasm and wealth of Chinese collectors, has ranked first and second in earnings at auction last year, above Warhol’s and Picasso’s.” (!!)
read: FU BAOSHI – ‘History Unfolding On A Hand Scroll’ by ROBERTA SMITH/NEW YORK TIMES – JAN 27, 2012
see: ‘Chinese Art in an Age of Revolution: Fu Baoshi (1904-1965)’ – at the MET !! the show is up thru APRIL 15, 2012.
FU BAOSHI. detail . . . image c/o THE MET.
up-date: TUES JAN 31, 2012
yeah, and I know (!!) . . . my website crashed just mins after posting this. like they say in the comix: yikes !. and it wasn’t just my website – it was the entire server system that keeps it up – in the first place. so much for: no hard copy. talk about walking on a steely edge, and twirling like a plume of smoke.
~FU BAOSHI . . . |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | January 29th, 2012, 10:37am
whoa baby !! – here’s something to take away those rainy day blues . . . fresh out of CHICAGO !! via NORTH CAROLINA !!
IMAGE BY – ELIJAH BURGER
ANAL SWASTIKA vs. GENITAL HOLOCAUST
ELIJAH BURGHER vs. STEVE REINKE
DRAWING vs. NEEDLEPOINT
VIDEO vs. VIDEO
LUMP PRESENTS CHICAGO ARTISTS – ELIJAH BURGHER and STEVE REINKE – IN A ‘BAKE-OFF’ !! – OPENING NEXT FRI FEB 3, 2012
HOT, HOT and MORE HOT.
the opening hrs: 7- 10 PM
the show will run thru FEB 25, 2012
the gallery is open on Saturdays 1-5 PM and by appointment on week days.
LUMP GALLERY – 505 SOUTH BLOUNT STREET, RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
ELIJAH BURGHER is an artist and writer currently based in Chicago, Illinois. Elijah Burgher maintains “a hybird studio wall/magick diary blog at ghostvomit.blogspot.com
He received an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2004 and got his BFA from local NY state campus, Sarah Lawrence College in 2000, in literature.
image: ELIJAH BURGHER – ‘LIAM VOMITING ECTOPLASM’ aka ‘PUKING UP GHOSTS’ aka ‘LIAM WARFIELD’.
this is an image from his current ghost vomit blog – if you catch it now, scroll down, the image is at the bottom, just about to drip, I mean drop (!!) off. apart from the fact that it’s comforting to see that other people see ghosts and other unnamed 4th world entities (!!), our new motto: artloversnewyork short on funds, but never short on paranormal activity . . . !!
it’s interesting to note his recent shift from magic realism (!!) to magic diagramming (!!) – completely in sync with a SATURN BLACK WATER DRAGON kick-ass start-off week. the dragon, a mythical beast – exists in the mind – remember ? plus it’s cool to see his literature background . . . where dragon myths loom large and colorful.
STEVE REINKE is an artist and writer best known for his monologue-based videos. He is associate professor of Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern. A book of his writings, ‘The Shimmering Beast’ (!!) was recently published at myrectumisnotagrave.com – which has a ton of his afore-mentioned videos all lined up, ready to jump to life – with a hit from your mouse – from their digital archive.
He also runs a digital drawing diary, check it out: genitalholocaust.com. (!!)
image by: STEVE REINKE, on genital holocaust.
wow. the first animal sightings we’ve seen in – the New Year 2012, excepting of course the mythical animal in the PETER GERAKARIS Chinese New Year greeting. the local mainstream art world (& media coverage) dominated by huge and hugely redundant “abstract” shows, installations and paintings by older artists, late blooming or not.
case in point: – dot dot dot Damien and his more dots non-event, anybody interested ? I didn’t think so.
case in point: the Gerald Ferguson show at CANADA, yes, interesting. for it’s birthing bragging rights & under-played newness. not to mention the archival computing card – backgrounds !!
while the local NYC branch of the cutting edge set, not covered in the mainstream press, yet (!!) showed some volley and kick-ass life by putting forth some extreme magic ‘realism’ portraits – case in point: ERIC WHITE.
NANCY SMITH, logo/drawing 1979
am I allowed to say, frig it yes !! being that I write this damn thing, and everyone knows from Charlie (Brown) Finch on down, that this (blog) world revolves around nancy !!
yep, a flame-eater/heat-seeker (!!) from way back, with the aggressive* stance & non-stop eyes of the seer . . . just born that way, is what I say. **
. . . is that: no less, or for real . . . I feel a deep bio kinship with these STEVE REINKE almost dorky line drawing animals, right down to the red hearts in the lyrically calligraphed, but wild cat’s marvelous coat . . . it’s actually a “spotted hyena”.
and yeah, as for his face-off with ELIJAH (!!) . . . I see ghosts in the machine . . . about to slay the almighty mythical dragon !!
may the best man – win !!
and yikes, about that spotted hyena !!
SPOTTED HYENA . . . in AMBOSEI PARK, KENYA. image: WIKIPEDIA
it’s got an LC designation, as in of LEAST CONCERN in the conservation stats – because: it’s a KILL-AH, baby !!
some interesting facts:
1. of why it might be esp of interest to the in-your-face-gay tribe – it’s the only animal in our mammalian species to lack an external vaginal opening. no joke. instead there is the “presence of a pseudo-penis in the female”. maybe better make that: that’s male and (fem) male, dude !! the fem urinates, copulates and gives birth from ‘her’ one and only “urogenital canal”. for more info, look it up yourself. WIKIPEDIA/SPOTTED HYENA/FEMALE GENITALIA
2. the social system of the spotted hyena is openly competitive. sound familiar. I know we’re supposed to be a co-operative culture, but who believes that ole myth – anymore ?
the (new) science of competitive genes anybody. Yes !!
3. surprise, surprise, not. the spotted hyena is a highly successful animal because it rules both poles of the evolutionary ladder. due to its adaptability and opportunism !! i.e. it is both an efficient hunter and scavenger. an animal with a dual position survival strategy not to be scorned – for our new stressed-out bio age, or what ?
*aggression
so, it’s a harsh universe or what ? no wonder man seeks magic diagrams.
and that’s a warp, I mean wrap. hope they send us some pix -!! – from the opening, LUMP ?
~ANAL SWASTIKA vs. GENITAL HOLOCAUST !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | January 27th, 2012, 11:45am
VETERAN WRITER/ DIRECTOR BEN LEWIN and his first ever film at Sundance, ‘THE SURROGATE’ . . are making huge huge web waves . . . the film is just taking off on every plane imaginable . . . including apparently way gifted performances by (indie fave) JOHN HAWKES, along with big screen vets: HELEN HUNT and WILLIAM H. MACY.
this is as close to a clip as I can find you . . .
watch: AN INTERVIEW with ‘THE SURROGATE’ – DIRECTOR & SCREENWRITER: BEN LEWIN
it’s very charming.
JOHN HAWKES stars in ‘THE SURROGATE’ as the true life poet journalist MARK O’BRIEN. image: Movieline
read: a great great interview with JOHN HAWKES on . . . ‘THE SURROGATE’ – from Movieline
~’THE SURROGATE’ SWEEPING SUNDANCE – BIG TIME !! |
Posted in Movie Reviews, The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | January 26th, 2012, 1:03pm
tell me about it, oops – he did !!
exhibit card/invite signed to NANCY . . . FROM R. CRUMB, Nov., 2000
above: front
below: reverse
R. Crumb Restaurant Placemat Drawings
November 2nd – December 9th, 2000
Opening Thursday, November 2nd, 6-8 P.M.
Paul Morris Gallery, 465 West 23rd Street, New York City 10011.
It’s A Harsh Universe, 10 by 11-5/8 inches, copyright R. Crumb
p.s. and yeah, despite the initial euphoria of the new Saturn cycle, the moment is harsh, if you realize, just like all the countless generations of ancestors before you did . . . that: well, if you’ve lived to see two Saturn 30 year cycles – good luck on seeing your 3rd, because nobody lives to be 120. that’s harsh . . . heading into the inevitability of death, no matter how you cut it. and that’s what gave Saturn his fearsome rep. Father Time . . . you see the endgame coming round, when he shows up.
it’s the old yin yang dance. takes 2 rounds of Saturn to achieve wisdom, but you see your endgame in the process. ha. I guess that is a kind of wisdom – all on it’s own.
ok. thanks for the dark thoughts – nancy !!
ok. here’s a tweak, positive.
anybody else notice a lot of “late bloomers” making the scene, lately ? I mean, besides BILL CUNNINGHAM ?
both at the Sundance Film Festival, usually the hot seat of the young and beginning – and, on the current NYC art scene. you can blame it all on Saturn, but it’s a good thing, no doubt about it – when talent – trumps the odds.
you go, eternal hipsters of the heart.
don’t believe me ? just back flip though all your mainstream arts coverage of the past month !!
while at SUNDANCE 2012, New York Post film critic – LOU LUMENICK reports that: ‘The hottest new writer-director at this years’ Sundance Film Festival is also the oldest person to have a film in the US dramatic competition here” . . . the 65 year-old BEN LEWIN who made his non-stop acclaim feature, ‘The Surrogate’ for around $1 million. The true story of a severely disabled poet/journalist who hires a surrogate so he can taste sex before he departs this world – must have a lot going for it – to topple that dreary storyline, is all I can say.
and yeah, it is a harsh universe, isn’t it. apparently Ben Lewin himself is a polio survivor who wears a leg brace and walks with crutches. (!!)
anyway to make a long story short, his film was a hit at Sundance, “The film was acquired by Fox Searchlight for a reported $6 million, hours after it premiered Monday to a standing ovation and rave reviews”.
and dig this, a little further on in Lou’s post: “A Hollywood Reporter reviewer compared LEWIN to DAVID SEIDLER, the veteran writer of last year’s Oscar winner, ‘The King’s Speech’. “He called himself a late bloomer”, says Lewin of Seidler, stunned by the reception he and ‘The Surrogate’ received on his first trip to Sundance. “Personally I’m really enjoying this late blooming.”
them be fighting words, dude. right on.
read: LOU LUMENICK: To ‘Surrogate’ with love – and laughs !!
p.s. note to JOSH HARRIS, rumored to be holed up in RED HOOK !! remember when you swept SUNDANCE 2009 – with the Ondi Timoner helmed ‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC’ ? talk about Father Time – my, how time flies !! only 3 short years ago, and it was you they were crowing about !! feels like forever.
say what – about a harsh universe ?
p.s.s. $10 + artlovers write-up (!!) . . . for the first confirmed JOSH HARRIS – back in Brooklyn !! pic. yo, and try to get a Brooklyn landmark – in the background and we’ll double the cash award – to $20 !!
for real. go ahead – try me !!
gonna try to hook u up with a ‘Surrogate’ trailer, try back in 5 mins !! sorry no can do, not one up yet. not a wisp of a clip anywhere.
~Oh, Pooey! IT’S A HARSH UNIVERSE !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | January 26th, 2012, 10:55am
or: another Blast !! from the past !!
ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST MAGAZINE – No. 94 / STAN GOLDBERG + HENRY SCARPELLI – AUGUST 1997
Archie Comic Publications, Mamaroneck, New York.
ARCHIE characters created by JOHN L. GOLDWATER.
~ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST – HOROSCOPE !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | January 25th, 2012, 7:49pm
FILE UNDER: a timely note from your art world resident ‘sign’ reader !! and accidental star gazer !!
just for the record: there was a huge huge sun storm yesterday, JAN 24, 2012.
no joke – it made national headlines. hot, hot and more hot !!
maybe that’s why flame-yellow winter jackets – are all the rage.
“An immense blast of plasma (?) spewing from the sun is set to bombard Earth today (TUES JAN 24, 2012) with the strongest radiation storm since 2005, prompting a rare warning from US weather officials and even a plan to re-direct certain high-flying planes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency issued a watch for a geomagnetic storm . . . expected to reach Earth . . . (yesterday).
As a precaution, polar flights are expected to be rerouted . . . according to space.com.
The storm could also affect the power grid.” – NEW YORK POST, pg 2. Tues Jan 24, 2012
YIKES !! we’re under sizzle attack – from our own sun !! . . . . holy Batman !!
needless to say all that white snow that arrived this past weekend – is long gone. just a figment of the imagination ?
talk about auspicious celestial and “mythical” powers at play !!
you can watch the resultant light show – over SWEDEN !! – via state-of-the art digital camera !!
and, WOW . . . dig that cabin – in the sun !!
watch: powerful solar storm sets off amazing Northern lights show . . . “Lights over Lapland” photographer CHAD BLAKLEY – caught the footage !!
talk about , . . fire breathing dragons – in the sky.
p.s. while you are there – you can also watch: ancient galaxies caught on camera, too. next video down, right hand side.
p.s. I also stand corrected re: the use of the term ‘imagination’ in the 2nd previous post – below !!
with reference to dragon myths. ‘imagination’ is formally defined as “the formation of a mental image of something NOT real or present.” though it also means . . . “CREATIVE POWER” and “RESOURCEFULNESS”, huh ? go figure. (THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY).
wherein lies the English language dilemma. if you can imagine it – it doesn’t rule out the possibility of it having happened !! dudes. I mean if you can intuit – you might have been informed. and let’s leave it at that.
ok. like how ?
by dreams, old folk wisdom, celestial night sky activity. etc. etc. small everyday signs. tea leaves ? patterns. visions. magic mushrooms. i.e. the stuff of our civilization, just saying.
I mean who I am to say – dragons did not exist ?
if gods existed, as in Greek myths, or angels, as in the Bible – let me tell you, dragons did breathed fire in the skies. . . and not just in paintings and literature.
case in point : below !! VINTAGE PRESCIENT – from the 70s !! of JAN 23, 2012 – OR – WHAT !!!!!!!!
and yeah I picked it up a few weeks ago – at a JERSEY CITY thrift shop !!
THE HOW AND WHY Wonder Book of STARS – (!!) and, note the price: 69 cents !!
written by NORMAN HOSS – Illustrated by JAMES PONTER.
Edited under the supervision of Dr. PAUL E. BLACKWOOD, Washington, D.C.
text and illustrations approved by OAKES A. WHITE, BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
yep, its from the hood – though overseen by Washington D.C. !! resident.
published by GROSSET & DUNLAP, NEW YORK – this is the 1972 printing.
the book was originally copyrighted in 1960 !!
the green light must be from night vision camera ?
and yes !! – that’s our modern-day hero – SATURN !! forefront and center – the only known planet with rings !!
and does that sun flare (!!) – not look like two fighting red Chinese dragons, going head-to-head , or what ?
and, didn’t that just happen – yesterday ?
just saying.
and yeah do the web research: the quest begin begins . . . why is the color red so important in Chinese culture !!
and, good luck !!
so . . . someone wanna tell me – they didn’t see ‘dragons’ – huge solar flares – in ancient China. ha. for sure.
and oh yeah. about the the constellations moving . . . picture the pin points of the constellation map as if on a thin mylar sheet over the map of the earth’s sky. it can move, like a third level transparent navigation bar – but the original ‘birth’ impulses remain stationary.
and that is why astrology and tarot cards, too – go figure – are still in synch.
though of course as the pin point star, as in ancient constellation navigation diagram is moving – come on, where’s the surprise – we all know – the stars do travel – it must mean something.
and of course future generations – of astrologers – need a wake-up call on the new alignment.
this movement of the celestial zodiac symbols must mean something. maybe that’s the new world – !! – the Mayans were talking about.
maybe a big celestial time lock – as in a top-notch combination lock – just opened up ? beats me !!
who am I. I’m just a 21st century artist. watercolor at that !!
BUT yes, the stars and the planets, and whatever the hell else is out there – moons, comets. you name it, solar flares affect us. directly, and by extension . . . our destinies. not to mention our moods and struggles. aggressive war times vs. peaceful agrarian times. dark ages and renaissances.
it’s kinda funny what they say. the more things change, the more they stay the same.
from the solar storm of yesterday – it’s pretty obvious in tangible terms (as opposed to magic or astrological terms) -that the heavenly bodies, exert forces on earth and its denizens. and so yes, just like in the old days – we try to make sense of our lives and chart (safe) paths with our observed knowledge of the skies. just as our most ancient collective global ancestor did. with their zodiac charts and ‘myths’.
once greatly debunked . . . as ‘magic’ these ancient wisdoms – have been made more real in our lifetimes – by the actual tangible effect, such as the solar flare had yesterday – our modern wireless power grids, etc. (!!)
that’s a great irony, think about it.
and yes, these wisdoms were debunked in this book. so, if you are still with me, star fanatics – hooray for the collective unconscious of the internet web – and the New York City art world !! – to right things !!
the wireless world web – the new star gazers: ‘bowl’ of choice !!
if you read the science pages, as well as the art reviews, you’ll know what I mean.
we’ll give the vintage ‘STARS’ book above – the parting words . . .
“SATURN, [one of the 4 giant planets along with with Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune] is the most spectacular planet of all . . . to see through a telescope. This is because of its remarkable rings. These are bright, thin bands around the equator of the planet. The entire ring system is 171,000 miles across from the outer to the inner edge, but probably no more than ten miles thick.” (!!)
(I’m thinking optical computer drives . . . dispensing knowledge – if not celestial LSD. but hey, that’s just my imagination.)
“It has been determined that the rings are made up of separate tiny particles, each moving in its own orbit. ” . . . seriously, try to get your head around that.
“They are probably ice particles averaging a tenth (!!) of an inch in diameter. In addition to its rings, Saturn has ten known satellites.”
all I know is – from time immemorial – SATURN was seen as the universal, or really, earthly – “re-boot” – when it passed by closest to our earth, on it’s 30 year orbit.
SATURN is also know as FATHER TIME, as well as the super god of agriculture and justice – key moments and concepts in our pre-history . . . because of the planet’s ‘enlightening’ effect when it passed closest – and resultant decline as it moved away. that 30 year cycle was understood in ancient days – through the (ground) rules of agriculture.
i.e. you sow seeds. you cultivate. they grow, you harvest, you eat. the end, an annual repeat on earth.
these truths be self-evident to our ancestors who almost all – worked the land.
probably as well, in olden times to live to see Saturn, at any point, but esp to be 30 – if you were born in a Saturn phase – was quite a milestone. because most likely most earthly primate human inhabitants – did not. live so long. thus Saturn came to be feared – and symbolized as the old man with the scythe out to get ya. tarot cards, anybody.
where’s Jung when we really need him. . . . trapped in a dirty old man’s movie circa 2012 – yes . . . ‘A DANGEROUS METHOD’. whatever. Keira Knightley, seriously I really wish you well.
multiply that by the agriculture-based rule of: you reap what you sow, if you had been bad – judgement was coming. some peoples call that: karma. and I sure hope it exists. cause if you’ve ever been wronged – it’s a very comforting thought re your enemies.
just enough comfort to get you through – another earthly day !!
~vintage . . . SATURN !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | January 25th, 2012, 11:50am
