Sunday, July 26, 2009

The yellow jersey


Nice photo.
From the New York Times.

Fred Tomaselli





Collage artist Fred Tomaselli, at the James Cohan gallery.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Single Ladies, Beyonce



Whatever, this video is just rad genius. The new wave of arty hip hop videos are killing. Obviously:

Heartless, by Kanye West and Hype Williams



Heartless, by Kanye West, video by Hype Williams.
WTF this video is like Patrick Nagel meets Cowboy Bepop.



Thursday, July 9, 2009

On Beauty and Being Just

Philosopher Elaine Scarry on beauty, truth, and justice.

Norman Mailer and Marshall McLuhan, 1968


Debate between two great men of the 20th century. They agree on many things and obviously have respect for each other. The argument revolves around moralism and judgment. McLuhan refuses to pass moral judgment on technology and society, while Mailer claims it's absolutely necessary.

Mailer at 24:05:
"The Alienated Man in relation to his new environments which alienate him further from himself. What does it mean to be an Alienated Man? It means to be a man who does not have a clear notion of himself, but rather contains two opposed notions of himself:

'I think that I am smart, and I think that I am dumb. I think that I am good, and I think that I am evil. I think that I am strong, and I think that I am weak. I think I'm a tough guy, and I think I'm a coward. I think I'm a great lover, I think I'm not...

He cannot define himself in any environment which has been programmed for him. He can only define himself by getting into situations that are brand new for him. Because when situations are brand new for him, his obsessions can cease for a moment. He can stop thinking of himself at the one moment as being either this or that, because he can be one thing at the moment...

It's a profoundly existential situation for him, because he doesn't know how it's going to turn out... Because he does not have time to evaluate it.

Whenever a man engages in a value judgment, he is either suffering profoundly from alienation or finding his way back out of alienation.

Soundsuits





Artist Nick Cave, from Chicago. More at the Jack Shainman Gallery.


Kenny Irwin, Jr.




Much, much more at the Dovemaster Chronicles and here.

Paul Laffoley





Work from the Boston Visionary Cell. More at his blog.

Frank Lloyd Wright interview



Mike Wallace interviews Frank Lloyd Wright in 1957. Full interview here.