Stem Cells

In his previous exhibition (8 Good Reasons to Save Polaroid), Kasabian Beck concentrated on the mysterious interior life of his subject. Stories were revealed ever so slightly in the crook of an elbow or sweep of the hip. In Stem Cells, a portrait series, Kas is still fixated on the details, but allows the subjects to dictate what they are. You’ll notice first how elongated the torsos of his sitters are; each subject looks as though s/he’s waking from a nap but forgot to stop stretching. In this series, Kas seems to have arm wrestled James Schwarz over wet canvas. He works organic, extravagant whirls across the surfaces; eyeballs bulge, shoulders poke up like tent poles through fabric. The Vargas-esque torsos of the women are mated with melting Dali clocks (thank you, Toon, for that observation ;) ), the men bisect the canvas with their angular edges....the soft smeary bends suggest impermanence, while the hard lines fight against it. The main element of a portrait is the expression recorded. Kas seems to be working with straightforward sl snaps – only one sitter emotes slightly through her lips. Most of the expression here is in the eyes, rolling skywards or squinting, and in the lines created by Kas himself. The National Portrait Gallery, London was organized in 1856 to commemorate individuals for their deeds. Come see how and think about why the slindividual is celebrated, elevated and commemorated. Become a Stem Cell yourself at the Poperation Gallery.

On Morals in a Virtual World

Sometime in the 1500s, scholar Gabriel Harvey received a letter from poet Edmund Spenser. The letter complained about the evils and lack of morals in the modern world. Harvey read the letter, put his feet up in front of the tavern fire, broke off the edge of his pipe stem, lit anew, and thought up this response…

“You suppose it a foolish mad world, wherein all things are over-ruled by fancy. What greater error? All things else are but trouble of mind and vexation of spirit. Until a man’s fancy be satisfied, he wanteth his most sovereign contentment, and cannot be quiet in himself. You suppose most of these bodily and sensual pleasures are to be abandoned as unlawful, and the inward contemplative delights of the mind more zealously to be embraced…Good Lord, you…go about to revive so old and stale a bookish opinion…Your greatest and most erroneous suppose is that Reason should be mistress and Appetite attend on her ladyship’s person as a poor servant…

There is a variable course and revolution of all things. Summer getteth the upper hand of winter, and winter again of summer. Nature herself is changeable; and most of all delighted with vanity; and art, after a sort her ape, conformeth herself to the like mutability…all things else in a manner flourish their time and then fade to nothing…”

In other words, people, don’t judge, be kind, and enjoy yourselves and one another while nature follows its regular course...

Flesh, Blood and Text

Artist: Alan Dojoji / Alan Sondheim at Experience Italy

“My back towards you as I’m typing…”
“If I find you wet me wet me…”
“I’m so tired tonight but don’t you dare touch me, don’t you, don’t you,
don’t you dare touch me…”
“I will turn dawn I will turn dusk…”
“You, you, you text me, you you you choose me…”

Twisted flocks of figures resembling gummy bears melted into knuckled shapes stream by. I touch them and they dissipate and reappear, like the moods described above by the narrator – a tantric female voice chants over the movement of the figures. “You make me want to throw up in my mouth”. I fly away, uncomfortable. I’ve overheard the narrator’s unedited thoughts…the fetal shapes meld and crosshatch across my view – I’m trapped, as the narrator is seemingly trapped in a dying relationship. It’s beautiful, it’s dark, it’s provocative.

Thank you, Blued, for keeping the mood light, or I would have been knocked, knuckle shaped, to the floor.

One Prim Wonder Challenge

Oh innocent prim,

Waiting in sandbox eager

Torn end from end

Horrible haiku – but I’m feverish, give me a break. I was inspired by the One Prim Wonder Challenge, curated by Sabrinaa Nightfire. What can be done with one prim? Let me show you…or better yet, let Sabrinaa.

When I arrived at the site I found myself surrounded by brightly colored shapes, some partly transparent, some gently spewing particles, others squat and still. I felt as though I had happened upon a glass shop in Murano, Italy.

The majority of sculptures seemed familiar to me, early experiments in building. That was until I remembered that each was made of only one prim. I circled round and round trying to figure out how they were accomplished. Some artists worked with surface texture only – allowing the planes to speak for themselves, while others wrenched torus and sculpties into controlled chaos. You have one more week to see the work of fine builders, such as four Yip, who've taken up the challenge. Here are some of the highlights:

palette knives and surgical instruments tango

luca laval's prim keeps a steely eye on visitors

fine craftsmanship by Paula Dix

an sl moodscape by Jojorunoo Runo

The Art of Preservation - Kasabian Beck

I intended to write about Kasabian Beck’s current exhibition A' l'inte'riur at Da Vinci Isle Galleries (well worth a visit - I'll review soon). But when I began to take a closer look into the breadth and depth of Kas’s work I found more to cite. Where to begin then? He deserves multiple posts. As an archivist in the actual world, I’m fairly obsessed with film and photographic print preservation. Kas appreciates traditional photography too, as illustrated in a concurrent exhibition at the Poperation Gallery.

The exhibition, titled 8 Good Reasons to Save Polaroid, shows a series of prints created by Kas, depicted in instamatic, or integral, film style. The images are rather hawt. Fragmented via collage, mysterious women peer at you through their lashes. The viewer glimpses the top of a tube sock, the back of a beautiful lingerie clad brunette, tiles on a floor, inconsequential details blown up and coveted.

8 Good Reasons serves a dual purpose. As gorgeous as the prints are, it’s less about art for art’s sake and more about art as action and education, for any day now the actual company, Polaroid, founded in 1937, will stop producing film for its cameras. Just as the details captured through Kas’s lens are coveted, film stock should be coveted too. Kas says it best in his artist’s statement:

“Everything from current photography and design, to advertising campaigns (American Apparel) mimmick the style of the polaroid picture. There is something of a longing, and a distance both to polaroids. Something etherworldly and nostalgic. The colors are never right, pictures are often not blurry but not in focus. Looking at a polaroid picture is like looking at a dream.”

So, for those of you hoarding your own memorable snaps, in the name of preservation, do your duty, readers: visit www.savepolaroid.com and visit the Poperation Gallery . 8 Good Reasons to Save Polaroid will be up until February 1st.

'tis that season

Si mes souvenir sont bons je peux tout oublier - an appropriate enough New Year's saying from the Young Gods, yes? Enjoy yourselves! xx

We, the people

portrait of gwendolyn

james schwarz (ftr that's a kazoo in his mouth)

James Schwarz is an artist who captures and illuminates the paradox of the avatar through his Headshot Series. I first learned of his work through intrepid profile stalking. I noticed that profile pictures taken by Schwarz had more depth than any I had seen before. The faces materialize from twilit dusk and the eyes make direct contact with the viewer. His subjects gaze confidently, coolly, sassily – they’re a bit intimidating. One of his sitters admitted being a bit shy about approaching Schwarz for an appointment (I felt the same way) so it was refreshing to read his follow up comment that he too, may feel a bit of the same when meeting people for a photo shoot. The nervousness comes from mutual admiration. We respect his work, and he respects us for timidly offering ourselves up as subject. He cares for his subjects, smoothing and softening their angles. The portraits are the same in size and presentation, but include personal accoutrements - a ciggy here, a headband there. Some avatars are plain, some are elaborate, each one unique. Take a few moments to view his flickr stream showing the series. It offers a rare opportunity to contemplate and know these personalities who are typically roaming, dancing, shagging, building, or otherwise on the move. I had a moment to catch up with Schwarz and asked him about the Headshot Series. He made an interesting point:

James Schwarz: "SL is pretty much a whole different dimension. The diversity of people…it's like the way each avatar is represented it's not just the work of one person, the owner, but a work of several others. If you think about it, the way you look right now is the hours and dedication put into by the creators of your skin, clothes, hair etc."

I’d never thought about that aspect of an avatar; that each individual represents a communal effort. But this idea is essentially the essence of SL, working collaboratively to achieve your individual vision, which made me think of Thich Nhat Hanh:

“You are me, and I am you. Isn't it obvious that we "inter-are"?”

See Schwarz’s first project – 100 Avatars – a community profile of the metaverse. Schwarz may have expressed being shy, but his artwork is not - it reaches out to each of us with a welcoming embrace. Rad.