Keeping Current

We have talked much about performers and artists of yesteryear but I always like to look to the present in order to see where these past people and events have taken us. Pipilotti Rist is a great example of one of the directions the art world has gone. She is a modern artist with hundreds of installations, prizes, publications and credentials under her belt. Most famous for her video installations she views the screen in a totally different maner. One such installation she had huge monitors placed in public areas onto which she had video of herself pushing against the camera, pressing her face onto the screen, as if trying to escape. She is a talented artist worth further exploration.

Keep Hirst out of a Hearse

Damien Hirst is an amazingly talented man. To start his 'spin paintings' can be viewed for shear beauty by anyone. Using a spinning canvas stand he and his assistants create remarkable paintings that capture color and motion in unseen forms. I had to mention those first because if you have never seen his preserved shark or his diamond incrusted skull you may no longer care about spin paintings. In his first series he preserved a cow, horse and his infamous fourteen foot tiger shark. If you have never heard of him or have yet to see any of these pieces of work do yourself a favor and take a look.

my HOUSE your HOUSE wareHOUSE

A musical movement coined Musique Concrete was one that focused on exploring more than natura sounds and voice to create music. Followers of the movement focused heavily on using electronic devices to produce effects that broadened the range of sound to a whole new level. The introduction of electronic devices opened the door to the inevitable future of digital music. When the movement traveled from France to the United States more and more forms continued to arise. The dark side of the music was its close connection to the drugs used by listeners. This tight bond soon forced the newly formed DJ to hold his shows in garages or warehouses far from bothered citizens and of course the authorities. The huge industry and music genre known as house derives its name from these warehouse parties of the past.

Thinking Outside of the Cage

A year ago I took an Electronic Music course and was introduced to the likes of John Cage. An evolutionist, leader and creator that influenced the very root of electronic music as we know it today. John Cage was a man of random who liked to create a selection of sounds which he would input into his recorder with no order at all, rather give the recorder the information and see what comes out on the other side. Having worked prior to the digital age Cage used many items to create his sound effects and notes for his randomly chosen musical scores. He was a man of genius in the form of music and any proprietor of electronic music needs to be well aware of who he is.

The Big Three Doin' Big Things

Some spectators of the art world would say that all great works have already been performed, created and explored. Until someone comes along and does something new. Joseph Beuys, Klaus Nomi and Leigh Bowery are three great examples of the performers who expand the art world one piece at a time.

Joseph Beuys did many types of art during his life from installations, performances to sculptures and graphics. After reviewing some of his pieces the one I found to be the most outstanding was his performance art piece titled How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare. I wasn't impressed by what he was doing, simply standing and walking around in a room or his acceptance to holding a dead rabbit nor was it his willingness to be watched for the duration. It was the fact that every aspect of the performance had a purpose and exact reason for its inclusion. The honey on his face referred to his likeness of bees and their ability to commune and care for each. The iron plate attached to his shoe to represent mars and masculinity. Although unrelated to one another they each represent an important influence in his life.



Klaus Nomi is someone that I can say absolutely amazed me from the first time I saw him perform. With his amazing tonal range he was able to perform entire operas on the male and female sides. Off of the stage he was known for an extremely eccentric style of fashion ware and make-up styling. Nomi performed with many well known performers such as David Bowie for a saturday night live appearance. Klaus Nomi would eventually pass away to the fate of AIDS in what would lead to be an explosion of the disease and much attention brought to the art world and performance in New York.

Leigh Bowery can easy be considered London's version of Klaus Nomi; with amazingly over the top outfits and his own form of make-up styles he captivated the audience wherever he went. Some viewed him as a walking art piece that never stopped performing regardless of the time or place. Bowery was also a victim of the AIDS pandemic although had kept it a close secret until very near death.

Pop the Top on the Bauhaus

When most think of the Nazi party, the first World War, Germany in the early nineteen hundreds the thought of art prospering in one of the most modern, creative driven buildings the world had seen. Bauhaus is a school that was originally founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar, Germany. The building itself was a work of art and within the school everything was focused, driven and geared in the direction of art. During the fourteen years the original school was in operation it moved between three cities and was under the control of three different directors.



To think of the impact that the Pop Art movement has had on our country it is hard to imagine that citizens today would be totally unaware of the true reasoning behind the movement. I have to apologize for being one of those post modern, unaware, people. When I would think of Pop Art I thought population, popularity, popular entertainment; anything but the truth. The true origin of the name came from a 1956 art collage by Richard Hamilton which pictured a naked man holding a Tootsie Pop over his private parts. The Pop popped and the name stuck.

Impressive! Impressive! Impressive!

I saw the film "Un Chien Andalou" for the first time in a survey of mass media course my Junior year and I didn't think much of the film to start. In fact, I felt much like the girl above, in one of the first scenes on the movie. The second opportunity to see the film came a year later in my Art and Technology course and it made me realize the importance of what I was watching. To appreciate this film a viewer needs to keep in mind the skill and know-how necessary in order to create these transitions but more importantly the extreme lack of editing tools, absence of digital effects and the low quality of the recording equipment used; from a technical aspect the film was well done.
Luis Bunuel was a co-producer on the film with renowned artist Salvador Dali when the movie originally debuted in 1929. The film was constructed with many series of clips that were totally separate from each other in aspects of time, location, and characters.