\nas seen through the lens of a young New Yorker.
\nthe word: vernacular – does come to mind.<\/p>\n
TOMMY MALEKOFF leans into his subject, like a ski jumper leans into his skies.<\/p>\n
‘The Outdoor World’ . . is a remarkable short film on MEMPHIS, of all places. part of the magic spell of the film, besides just how strange vernacular<\/strong> Memphis can be . . . esp to a New Yorker, is the rhythm, the momentum, the framing & editing . . of the visuals – which pair up so nicely with the rhythm of the sound track, so completely, so sweetly. words ? who needs words. I might be wrong, but the closest I can come to describe the way the film moves, in words<\/em> . . is, it’s the visual equivalent of house \/ wave \/ beach music. in its own way, the film is also about . . BLACK LIFE.<\/p>\n as with most cutting edge art today – it’s also about indie low-key production, but big on both content, hand-lettered info graphics & real world digital photography . . in other words: small scale \/ big visions. DIY spirit, individual skills, and . . making your singular voice count, within the mass web of social media that surrounds us, bombards us 24\/7 & then, focusing in on our own<\/strong> particular location-specific . . urban experience. <\/p>\n as for ‘graphics’ \/ sometimes called graphic design: IMAGES: TOMMYMALEKOFF.COM<\/a><\/p>\n TOMMY MALEKOFF, and ANDREW KASS . . at ‘The Outdoor World’ – 170 Suffolk St, Lower East Side, NYC screening.<\/p>\n TOMMY MALEKOFF & ANDREW KASS are key players i.e. big energy & innovative creative contributors . . among the informal swirl of the very downtown, very politically aware, ‘seed-like’ & ‘gonna be’ very influential . . openly subversive, indie rebel, creative, cutting-edge & mostly underground . . urban-based, and informally structured . . artist crew centered around curator \/ artist . . SEAN VEGEZZI, is the best I can put it. TOMMY MALEKOFF . . seems to have been blessed, not<\/strong> only with a natural eye . . for the camera & in turn – indie filmmaking – but, also with the insight that it takes<\/strong> to inform the footage, and thus blow up a small film of 10 mins – into quite the entrancement. I asked Tommy to tell me a little bit more about how the film’s music score came to be, & this is what he emailed me:<\/p>\n “For the score – I came to Joe with 3 songs: at first I thought, ok . . it’s going to be an ‘extreme urban infrastructure’ take down. a walk on the wild side, illegal high storied intrusion. but it was in fact, quite the opposite.
\nindependently made by a young New Yorker, TOMMY MALEKOFF with a hand-held camera, and not much else. okay, and – with<\/strong> a lot of . . verve.
\nit also features . . an incredible, original sound track by JOE WILLIAMS aka DJ MOTION GRAPHICS. This singularly striking ‘travelogue’ with absolutely no<\/strong> words, but which is metaphor-rich, for your own taking !! is just transfixing – from frame one. it’s just the way TOMMY MALEKOFF, apparently a natural behind the camera, sees the world from his own very personal & straight-forward inquisitive . . vantage point. we are one with him, in his journey behind the lens, a young artist \/ explorer \/ producer just about to burst on the scene . . with no, or not much (!!) previous history or art world baggage to hold him back.<\/p>\n
\nit moves real casual, but it’s very transfixing. and then there’s the music.<\/p>\n
\nthese 2 images are from Tommy’s website.
\nif ‘quiet beauty’ were a catalog, a style – this would be that, and that . . would be ok.
\nbeing right on the vibe – is hard to do.
\ndon’t take it for granted, just how striking this singular home page . . is.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/outdoorworld1.jpg\" "\\"outdoorworld1\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nyou know, the guys of . . 15 WARREN ST, 170 SUFFOLK, and 34 JOEY.
\nagain, very urban-based in outlook, as in rooted in the actual infra-structure of the city, or with regard to global politics. a general over-all dynamic, as opposed to say . . specifically sticker art, or street art per se, though the group shows I have seen obviously include a lot of street art just by the nature of how things roll indie in NYC. the key is, these guys grew up in the downtown area, and within the underground fringes of the downtown art scene, and they don’t wait for things to happen, they just throw up the shows – on their own, or hit up other indie pop-up venues, or subway stations, lol. and abandoned buildings, and let’s leave it at that.<\/p>\n
\nquite the statement.
\nand, with no .. words.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nJOE WILLIAMS aka DJ MOTION GRAPHICS, and of whose moniker . . we have no doubt.
\nmotion graphics – is what this film is all about . . style-wise.
\nand JOE supplied the original film sound track – and it is pro, and it is brilliant. <\/p>\n
\n‘Walking in Memphis’ by Marc Cohn, ‘Where is da Bud’ by 3 6 Mafia, and ‘I can’t help falling in love with you’, by Elvis.
\nJoe took the melodies from these songs and applied strings to them instead of lyrics to make a more orchestral, atmospheric sound that referenced popular songs from\/about Memphis. He also used samples of noises from mosquitoes and ducks for parts of the song(s). Each segment of the video has a special song made up of these references.”<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nbacktrack: 170 SUFFOLK appears to be a large, vacant one story floor-thru space, much like a garage. SEAN VEGEZZI and pals put up an incredible pop-up, group show there back in June, 2014.
\nand interestingly enough, TOMMY MALEKOFF was one the featured artists. no, he didn;t show a film, it was kind of the exact opposite of a film, he put subtle ‘trash \/ tracks’ throughout the space. I know – it sounds crazy, but it really gave the place some . . ‘spatial’ grit. trash from North Carolina. bye the way. Tommy seems to be into . . geography. cities.
\nit made the space ‘bounce’, transcend. added city infrastructure ‘narrative’ – does that say it better.
\none day I have to post the pix.
\nmaybe soon.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nas if . . anything by this crew needs grit.
\ngrit & hardcore thought – am I.
\nI’m up for as much grit as you can throw at me. anything, but the wall-to-wall mediocrity this town’s art scene has become, for the most part.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nof course inside it is dark. it is quite huge, and wide open and beautiful. raw, but not dysfunctional, with a great bank of high windows at the back near the ceiling, bringing the city lights inside. there was just enough light to pick out ‘poster’ mages from the film.
\nfootball. hmm. the outdoor world, you just never know.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nDJ DONDERO, in front of one of the ‘film’ posters – featuring the MEMPHIS PYRAMID, what a strange tourist attraction.
\nand that’s just how the movie starts . .
\nthe film’s outlook is curious, more than anything, I would say.
\nthe ‘souvenir’ site, the ‘tourists’, mainstream America, America . . the Great Mall, speaks for itself. come up with your<\/strong> own metaphors, they are yours – free for the taking.
\nform the elevator ride down, to the crocs in the water. to the history of the place itself.
\nthere was an info sheet hand-out, (it hosted the mega-fight between LENNON LEWIS vs MIKE TYSON in in 20020) – when you entered.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe projection screen was just off to the right, the back wall.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nyou can see the lights & buildings of the city’s night . . just outside, through the bank of large windows at the ceiling, just above the screen. very nice, lucky random draw-of-the-straw – real estate touch.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nand then the film opens.
\nepic.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe film begins, with an aerial shot, and we descend via elevator into the Memphis Pyramid.<\/p>\n
\nit was like finding a home movie souvenir, by a really smart kid. and then the music kicks in & you are off and running. entranced & wondering. wtf. this was no kid. this was a master at the vernacular. vernacular photography – look it up. not quite the same as ‘found’ photography . . because Mr. Malekoff is indeed the eye behind the camera of his very own<\/strong> footage. . with a pictorial style<\/strong> . . all his own, somewhere within the genre of ‘reality’ ‘souvenir’ and ‘documentary. it’s not fiction. it’s not made-up, but it is chosen<\/em> & composed. and the vibe is very very cool, very chill. the direction, the easy scope, the unobtrusiveness, yet the telling . . of the average day to day, is not<\/strong> average at all. trust me, I’ve seen too many film projects in my lifetime – to know. the diff.
\ntalent is rare, but when it spools – trust me, talent . . outs. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe croc.
\nthe Outdoor World. Memphis – style !!<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe big catfish . . ?
\nscale, size. animals. bio. haven’t I been hearing those very words, lately ?<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe ‘tiny’ minnows.
\nwe are<\/strong> minnows swimming in a sea of technology, social media & information overload.
\nwe are<\/strong> on the other side of that glass. whose in the outdoor world, them or us ?
\nand hey, that’s just what I’ve been thinking . . who is really bio these days. we are . .
\nwe are wired. we are . . wireless. we are computer merged. we are . . mutated.
\nand we are under assault by the nano life of the food chain. invisible particles. viruses. the icebergs are melting, but the viruses are growing.
\neverything is upside down.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe chicks, the cars. The Outdoor World – Memphis style.
\nthe world was once so – easy. maybe that’s why souvenirs are so – pleasant.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nLIL RON – the indoor \/ outdoor world ?!! (reference footage)
\nfab. bio. skills.
\nthe dancing is called . . gangsta walking. it seems to be a form of ‘bio’ competition.
\nno wires, but wired !! but smooth wired. and nothing . . digital. well maybe the music recorded. it’s also referred to as ‘jooking’ . . it’s a dance native<\/strong> to Memphis.
\nMemphis must be such a special place. what’s in the water ?
\nbesides crocs and catfish ? or maybe that’s it.
\neven, just the songs. the Memphis blues. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\nB. FRANK (reference footage)<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nLIL BUCK (reference footage)<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nback inside ‘The Outdoor World’ – at 170 SUFFOLK.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe hardcore party . . life.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nsure to be a player. . .<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nin the outdoor world of NYC . . night life.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nASPEN and MOSIE.<\/p>\n