Cock Doc Doc

"Having no talent is not enough."

I like the idea that there are west coast phenomena. Apparently the Cockettes, a drag show based out of San Francisco in the late 60's early 70's was a West Coast thing, terrible to transport east. In this era drag could include women and even children, you could still get furs at the local thrift stores, and the commune system was almost working to keep everyone fed and clothed,(with help from the welfare system). Drug induced, frenzied, improvised shows were greeted with standing ovations. This is the San Francisco that dreams are made of.

As I was watching the documentary (that was very similar in style to those that you'd see on PBS, but with a lot more cock and balls), it suddenly occurred to me that as they were describing the wonderful and free Haight district of the era they casually left out that Charles Manson was also active at the same time, and under much the same pretenses. He was an itinerant musician, surrounding himself with pretty girls in outlandish hippie garb, espousing a gospel of free love. An interesting contrast.

I really enjoy the act of making feather boas. Watching these movies where so many people need comfort and protection, as they act out against society and each other, I wonder if I need to make a labyrinth-like honey comb structure to protect all these fragile creatures. I think of Aunt Beast from Wrinkle in Time, and how beneficial a costume like that would be. But then I watch for awhile, and realize that is would just get sullied and burnt to a cinder. All these characters may be fragile, but they are also quite inflammable.

Kids Nowadays...

I'm going to have to pay closer attention to who suggests which artists I "have to" look at. Though this movie was incredibly made, and Chloe Sevigny is awesome, I don't think I'm interested in Larry Clark any further. The film was not only depressing, but yuck-tastic; using the audiences "yuck" response when it didn't have to. Scenes seemed to go on forever, and the metaphors got lost in the 40s and blunts. The initial shock of the age of the characters lost its effect very quickly. In that way it sorta reminded me of a perverse Bugsy Malone, but without the marshmallows. There's probably an interesting comparison to be written between Telulah and Sarah (Jody Foster and Chloe Sevigny, respectively). However, much in the way that "Drugstore Cowboy" made shallow the experience of adults, "Kids" made shallow the experience of children. It took less than 20 minutes for me to begin to watch the clock till the end of the film- I was already dead to it's shock, and just waiting for the inevitable.
I'm not sure how this relates to what I make. I have an interest in the empowerment of teenagers, and am interested in how they are portrayed in culture. I must have made the mistake of mentioning this. I had avoided this film for a long time, and though I can't say I'm unhappy to have formed my own opinion of it, I don't think I would have missed much by never having watched it.

Dogs are waiting...

But in the spirit of documentation, I'm also going to work my way down through the reccommended film list from AIB- (90% of which include or involve dragqueens... Go figure) first off- Shortbus!

<<(Synopsis- pre-orgasmic sex-therapist lady befriends a gay couple on the rocks who frequent a club hosted by Justin Bond (Queen Du Jour!)...yadda yadda, graphic sex, but well-placed & not gratuitously used; as the preview says "about sexuality, not sex...")>>

The most exciting part for me was the New York City sets made of gently rainbow painted cardboard which illuminated or not depending on the plot point. Especially gratifying was the blue string of lights across the Brooklyn bridge. Reminded me of Michel Gondry's movies, and, well, made me want to re-watch all of his material. Guess that'll go on the to do list.

Justin Bond did give a great performance. I"m looking more into the Radical Faerie Movement, as well as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Though I'm not sure how this exactly relates to my work, it's still fun...

More soon, ipsos walkies...

Front Desk Post

Actually, this is a little bit of an experiment to see how things cut and pasted from word end up looking on this blog. Anyway...

These are my nearly-mnemonnic notes that were made during a "research session" where I was supposedly working the front desk of a college on a beautiful summer Saturday (as you can imagine, there was NO ONE on campus). I have dutifully looked up every artist I took note of during the residency, with the exception of those that I was supposed to become "Expert" in. At the end of a 9 hour shift I think I had maybe found 9 of these people who warrant further interest and research. If the font stuff worked they should be in bold. Anyway...


Artists & Collectives to look up-
*Elizabeth Higgins-O’Conner. (Very sad looking creatures made from couch cushions and yarn detritus. Paintings are of sad looking creatures in conflict. Under-grad at Cal State Long Beach.)
*Sally Mann. (Alt Process Black and White Photography of naked children, husband, etc. Notorious. No Idea how her work relates to mine.)
*Lynda Benglis. (Double dildo add spread, really great paint “blatts.” Video work on VDB.com)
*El Anatsui. (Breath-takingly awesome works using bottle caps and discarded metal bits. Personal site currently down.)
*Karen Kilimnick. (“Why does any self-respecting painter ever set out to be feeble?” http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2007/mar/04/art- really ugly paintings…)
*Matthew Ritchie. (Awesome games and pseudo drawings.)
*Limner Portraits. (deliberately decorous)
*K8 Hardy. (“Now, it’s not about hanging out naked in my underwear, but rather about selling myself as an artist.” Fashion photography ala Todd Oldham, film works).
*Francis Alys (video works, mostly based on walking. Also collects paintings of Saint Fabiola.).
*Acconci.(Performance works like “Seed Bed” leading to landscape architecture)
*Larry Clark. (Photographer and film maker, specifically of Tulsa (book) and Kids(film))
*Tim Hawkinson.(Bird Skeletons made out of fingnail clippings, interactive octopus made of photographs)
*Arthur Ganson. (MIT machines)
*Tom Friedman. (amazing geometric stuff, awful visceral stuff.)
*DAVID ALTMEJD. (Ben said to keep it in all caps)(“Narrative Potential”- decaying werewolves.)
*Terrence Koh. (Chinese sculptor, most notably of Lady Gaga’s piano)
*Dan Graham. (mirror buildings, public labyrinths)
*Urs Fischer.(Blobby metal things, tongue coming out from wall)
*Jason Rhoades. (collaborator with Paul McCarthy, CCAC alumni)
*Jerry Saltz (New York Magazine, Formally of Village Voice).
*Joan Semel.(Painting from photographs at odd angles of presumably her own body)
*Nan Goldin. (Still photography work moving into cinematic)
*Margaret Bourke-White. (Maggie the Indestructible, photo-journalist)
*Immogen Cunningham. (Originally from pdx, UW alumnae, black and white studies of plants and nudes.)
*Hannah Wilke (little bubble gum vaginas, “Intra Venus”).
*Barbara Kruger. (futura bold oblique over photos)
*Jenny Holzer. (Projected Barbara Kruger)
*Bansky (Artist or Collective- street work and agit-anti-prop)
*Clare Fontaine. (text, text, neon text, flip knives made from quarters.)
*Alexander McQueen. (accredited with bringing low-rise “bumster” jeans back into style. Extravagant fashion. )
*B.A. Harrington. (crazy wood work.)
*Louisa Cassati. (“I want to be a living work of art.” Femme Fatale, featuring live snakes as jewelry)
*Marilyn Mintor. (overly ripe photos of lips and jewelry. Unclear as to the distinction between photos and paintings.)
*Pierre et Gille.(over the top glittery photographs of beautiful people in glorious handmade set pieces. Lots of glitter.)
*Erwin Olaf. (Overly dramatic, perfect looking horror inspired photographs. Mostly commercial, it seems.)
*Mike Kelly. (Stitched doll bought objects, abjection, “clusterfuck aesthetics”- Jerry Saltz)
*Paul McCarthy(still boring)
*Cory Arcangel. (Musician from Oberlin, hacks video games, most notably Mario clouds)
*Mike Smith.(Video artist, created character. VDB.)
*Harvey Fite/ Opus 40 (early land work, created by one professor from Bard College).
*Amanda Lynn. (Awful Paintings of women)
*Yinka Shonibare. (sculptures, often without heads, adorned in "ethnic " fabric, often set up in tableaus.)
*Hanry Darger.(the story of the Vivian girls.)
*Richard Prince. (Incredibly bad field paintings with stupid jokes on them).

Artists and Collectives I couldn’t find on the internets
*Red Queen or Red Wing theatre group.
*Victor Schwarzlofsy.
*Nalem Blake.
*Eric Simmon-Ziegler.
*Terry Bartlett.
*Joan Fercunderta.
*Irwin Verme.
*Hans Hocke.

Old Works.

Newer picts. So, this is what I was working on for about 2 weeks (solid) last spring.