Aspirations of Hotness

I wish I had this power! This video is hot, BUT how can one go wrong, Mila Kunis, and Blakroc (Mos Def and Black Keys on this one!) Interesting way for Esquire to have a presence in other forms of media beyond it's printed self.

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love this lettering!

How clean, modern and interesting.  Also my favorite time of day-twilight.

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Last week in the cold...

A Cold Day View  from the Museum

The middle of last week had me crawling the walls with cabin fever in the North Suburbs of Chicago.  Not only do I not like the cold and snow (never did), staying in the house where one spent their teen years in can be a little trying after a few days!  So I took myself up to the Kenosha Public Museum to see The Printmaking Revolution in America and the Wisconsin Presence and get a little inspiration.

I had breezed through the website and it wasn't until I was using google maps app on my dad's iphone that I came to discover that there is a Civil War Museum next to the Kenosha Public Museum as well.  I didn't have the time to check that out but Kenosha is more than a reference in That 70's Show and it's more than an outlet mall nearby.  The town is our family's meeting place- halfway from Libertyville and Milwaukee.  There's a cool farmer's market that has sparked my dad's interest and we have eaten at a wonderful eatery called the Wine Knot Bar & Bistro where I have had some wonderful seasonal meals--my favorite being the duck stroganoff I had there last winter.

But.....

Arthur Secunda's Self Portrait

Back to the Museum--I really enjoy small museums and was inspired by the permanent collection/display of natural history of the area.  I foresee a work of modern mounds like the Indian mounds of the area.
I also learned that wooly mammoths and mastodons ate different things and didn't compete for territory. Just a fact.

The printmaking exhibit is a personal collection of Ronald L. Ruble and what was different about the display was the placards of the work had many personal comments of Mr. Ruble's. Inspiring work included Arthur Secunda's silkscreen work inspired from Kettle Moraine State Park- a place I used to visit in winter and go cross country skiing as a kid.  His self portrait was something that grabbed my attention graphically and color wise.

Lois Mogensen's Chair Suite

One thing of interest was that the poster for the exhibit had a work I couldn't find in the collection/gallery.  I went through there twice trying to find the work and never located it!  The other graphic interpretation of an everyday object that was of interest was Lois Mogensen's Chair Suite, a color mezzotint.  The identifying plaque was of the collector's commentary and a favorite of mine, stating that Mogensen is a personal friend and that "Mezzotint is not a medium for sissies and this gal tackles it head on".  Love her treatment and representation of the object and love the idea of tackling art head on...I hope to do more of that in my life! _______________________ _________________________________

Resurgence of Ribbon Mics

I never knew they went away!
Just was directed to a wonderful bit of posts at Wired Magazine.
They are celebrating ribbon microphones and the history of sound/microphones.
Great pictures and great information
birth-of-the-microphone
ribbon-mics-part-1
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Closing day for shows at the Armory.

Took myself to see the closing day of 2 shows at the Armory in Pasadena.  I went with the intent on seeing NewTown: Convergences--a look at new media and installation. I was curious to see what people are making was was blown away. Saw a work inspired by Helen Hill.  I have a few friends that knew her and she must have been a remarkable woman to have so many talk of her and work to keep her memory alive. Nancy Buchanan and Ismael De Anda had a sweet little piece playing with the idea of pinatas. Heidi Kumao worked with projected image and different planes/surfaces for projected image. Robert Ladislas Derr played with a box and explored confinement . This reminded me of the arts walk in St. Paul where there was an installation of a man in a box.  At the end of the night, I went back to see the man in the box-most kids loved it, thought it was funny.  As I returned to the St. Paul installation I saw parents with a child saying LOOK LOOK!  What I got to look at was a kid freaking out!  She started climbing up her dad onto his shoulder saying I DON'T LIKE THIS!
Robert Ladislas Derr's work was video of his wife and himself moving in a box.  The observer then looked through a box to see the video.  It was a very intimate work.

Lastly, my favorites, (can't find my notes to credit them) were works that played with technology in the great outdoors with a fire projected on a bunch of logs, a shadow play of a man online in a tent, a cell phone tower looking like a tree that gives one four bars and projected images of our parks and encroaching technology.  The other was titled Looking Glass that had a new twist on voyeurism in spying on a diorama of a man watching tv across the armory.

A sweet surprise was the closing reception of Steve Roden: In Between, a 20 Year Survey. It was nice to be in the space with lots of people looking at the work and lively conversation filling the space.  I found it amazing that I had never heard of this artist and then this morning, there he was, posted on the LACMA blog, talking of the Blinky Palermo site that closes this Sunday.  I enjoyed looking at his comments since I know I breezed through this work and was much more intent and into the work of William Eggleston.  Eggleston's work brought tears to my eyes and put me on this newer drive to create.
Back to Steve Roden's work, it was very heady.  One can tell that each work comes from a place of deep introspection.  The sound/audio work was what of course I remembered.  Although not playing sound at the time of my crossing, Roden had a piece/sonic box that was naked speakers/horns inside different size bottles which really got me thinking about possibilities in my work.  He also did a mixed media/projected work about the moon that was in a vault gallery --the old vault of the building-  this work had a plaster cast record that took the projection but then the shadow beyond--the silhouette was a beautiful "moon rise" so to speak.  Roden also explored the dimensions of his body and proportion and made work related to that exploration.  He had a "bed of sound" that had a handmade quilt created by his mother as well as speakers and "tinker toys"/building blocks with it.  The color alone of the sculpture was amazing.
Roden's work made me think of how to play with words, concepts and an aural tradition.  It also makes me think that the vérité recordings I like to make and use could be enhanced by broader, more abstract or conceptual sculpture-or nothing at all--being confident of the sound itself. _______________________ _________________________________

The Visual Language of Herbert Matter

Yesterday, LACMA hosted the SoCal premiere of The Visual Language of Herbert Matter with director Reto Caduff, answering questions after the screening.

Most of those in attendance seemed to be graphic designers and rightly so--Matter is a huge influence on American graphic design, teaching at Yale in the early years of its design program as well as working with noted designers Charles and Ray Eames, companies such as Conde Nast, and creating a look and identity for Knoll Associates and New Haven Railroad. He also was close friends with Jackson Pollack, Alexander Calder and created a book showcasing the work of Alberto Giacometti.

His work is intimidating, beautiful, and inspiring. Matter worked and was influential in graphic design, photography, and montage as well as moving image (only one completed film-Calder's mobiles with John Cage's score).

The Visual Language of Herbert Matter had no recorded audio of the artist--possibly one interview on tape exists and there was very little writing or response from the artist.  Herbert Matter worked a good 12 hours a day, 7 days a week in his studio and let his work and language of image speak for itself.  Matter's work, commercial and artistic stand on their own as works of art.  The archives mostly residing at Stanford and tempts this gal to take a trip up there some time soon.

As a film- the filmmaker had to resolve the issue of stills and images, which he did with beautiful animation and motion graphics. The score for this film was unbelievable as well, complementing the image and narration.  Unusual and breaking the rules, Caduff narrated the film himself, putting a very personal spin on the information presented to the audience.

  

Check out the website of the film for more screening info

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