CricketToes

Punk Lives On In The Cyber Universe

As we all should've learned in elementary school, the time it takes for the light of a distant star to reach us here on Earth is mind-blowingly huge. And so it is that the mere act of gazing upon celestial bodies places us in a cosmic time machine in which we see the stars as they once were and not as they are today.

In the frantic realm of The Internets™, however, one minute is equal to one light year, so when ya run across something that's been up for five years and documents a period from some three decades ago it's like looking at the brilliance of a star located an eternity away.

Just such a stunning experience happened to me last week when I stumbled upon Andy Rosen's "London Punks 1976-1984" photostream on Flickr, uploaded in 2005. Seeing as y'all know I cannot tell a lie, let me just say that I was so amazed and delighted to find these images that I nearly fell off my oh-so comfy chair!

Presented in all their fantastically dark and brooding glory are The Clash, Paul Weller of The Jam, Dave Vanian of The Damned, Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17, David Sylvian and Richard Barbieri of Japan, Johnny Rotten--band name not necessary--Siouxsie Sioux without the Banshees, Steve Strange, Midge Ure of Ultravox, Specimen, and my all-time favs Peter Murphy and David J of Bauhaus.

Just who in the hell are these musical/cultural rebels of a bygone era? If ya don't know, take Mom's advice and look it up!

Ah, good times, kids, good times. Reminds me a punk rock girl I used to know very, very well:

Unfortunately the link to Rosen's blog yields nada, but you can watch a 2006 video interview with him at Current.

Link (via Boing Boing)

Related:
Avant-Garde/Acoustic/Punk Never Felt So Right
That’s Pretty Underground

Bill T. Jones & The Dance Of History

History, it is said, does not recognize itself until it sees its own reflection in the eyes of the future. Occasionally, however, a time arrives when history is fully aware of its existence and its urgency is deeply felt by those living within it. In the midst of such a time did Abraham Lincoln become the 16th President of the United States, and the legacy of his leadership and determination to preserve the Union still resonates with profundity today.

But the story of history is often skewed by the perspective of those who tell it. In the case of Lincoln and The Civil War, the sheer immensity of scope, the complexity of actions and reactions, and the enormous number of lives involved, make telling the whole tale an exceedingly difficult and challenging undertaking.

Given this fact, should we not then explore the very essence of what we call history? Indeed we should, and one artist has created the vehicle with which we may do so. That artist's name is Bill T. Jones and his masterpiece is entitled Serenade/The Proposition:

Wow. Just wow.

Celebrated the world over, Bill T. Jones carries many titles--dancer, choreographer, artistic director and co-founder of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company--and has deservedly received numerous awards, including a 1994 MacArthur Fellowship and a 2007 Tony Award for his choreography for Spring Awakening--remember that joyous romp into adolescent frustration and angst? Sure ya do.

As is the duty of Alverno Presents to bring Milwaukee the very best the planet has to offer, they'll be welcoming Jones and his company for a 3PM performance of Serenade/The Proposition this Sunday, February 28. Tickets are $40 a peep, but anything this gorgeous and brainy is well worth every penny.

Buy tickets now and let history rightly judge you for the magnificent genius you are!

Related:
Now Is The Spring Of Our Discontent--The Musical!

The Macro-Good Of Micro-Funding

Here's something rarely shouted to a crowd of lovable ADD rattled artists: "Hey, kids, let's talk about economics!" I know, pinch me, right? It's like yelling, "Hey, kids, let's listen to a reading of the collected poems of Sylvia Plath!" in the middle of a raging New Year's Eve party.

Well today, right here on CricketToes, we're gonna talk about economics, specifically micro-economics--Yippee and Happy Tuesday! To those about to click away in search of sickeningly cute animal videos, we salute you. Come on back later when you're good-n-tight, though, 'cause talkin' money is even more of a hoot when you're all liquored up.

As is known by all with an interest in the study of economics, the concept of micro-lending has been around from the moment that members of the Homo genus began to place value on stuff within a communal setting. For example, waaaay back in the day if you managed to squeeze through the pile of humanity tearing away at the latest kill only to find there was nothing left to calm your hunger, you'd turn to your buddy Zog and tell him, "If you give me some of your meat now, I'll give you some of mine later." Thusly a deal was struck, with Zog becoming a micro-lender and you becoming a micro-lendee. Eureka!

Least we arrogantly believe ourselves to be the sole smarties on this planet, other social mammals--primarily primates--have been documented as engaging in activities similar to this. The only thing that truly separates our lending practices from theirs is the concept of getting back more than the amount lent. We benignly call this "interest" but its potential for nefarious abuse is strong and the real implementation of that abuse is widespread.

Micro-funding, on the other hand, has historically been more difficult to come by. Sure, individuals and small groups have given funds to artists and causes of worth throughout the centuries, but they tended to be rich folks who attached a significant number of clauses, catches and here's-what-we'd-like-to-sees. This largely remains the case today, buoyed up by well-intentioned worker bees within the organizations and institutions meant to benefit the artists/causes.

With the help of The Mighty Internets™, its sundry websites, blogs and social media hangouts, and advances in telecommunications, the democratization of micro-funding has already begun in earnest, allowing regular peeps from every background to chip-in what they can for a project they believe in. And they're doin' it right in plain sight of those who still think of themselves as The Grand Puppet Masters. Whoot!

Miltown played host to one of these beacons of funding freedom on January 23 with The Soup Chronicles: Micro Funding For Artists, sponsored by African-American Artists Beginning To Educate Americans About African American Art (ABEA). The result of this gathering was a highly uncommon one: The artist whose proposed project garnered the most votes of those in attendance received 90% of the donations collected. Did ya hear that, people? 90%! With 10% reserved for the next round.

As Della Wells, artist and founder of ABEA, expressed to me last week during a phone chat, the goal of The Soup Chronicles is to keep artsy money giving as simple as possible. No frivolous administrative costs cutting into the funding, no long-drawn-out selection process, no 80 pound submission packet detailing every actual and/or padded accomplishment of your artistic life required. Just a 500 word project proposal to be presented to the masses. That's it, that's all, that's awesome!

During this initial round, two artists, Monika Harris and June Schumacher, presented their ideas to the assembled crowd enjoying soup and bread for a minimum donation of a mere $5 per mouth. Doesn't sound like much, does it? But added all together ya end up with a fairly nice kitty--in this case $173--to begin or further a project that otherwise may never see the light of day. Also, it lowers the winning artist's blood pressure--hehe, get it? Course ya do.

Monika Harris got the most votes for the first ever Soup Chronicles, enabling her to launch a zine designed to empower women of color. Harris was brought to grateful tears upon hearing that she had secured the thumbs-up from those in attendance, providing her with the encouragement she needs and giving her the determination to move forward on a worthy project. Della told me that June Schumacher was just as pleased, recognizing that her participation in the event brought attention to her project as well. Hurray!

So besides the monetary assistance to the artist getting the most votes and the promotional benefit for all involved, how does a this type of micro-funding serve the macro-good? Hey, I'm glad ya asked 'cause--surprise!--I've got a few thoughts on that. Ready? Here we go.

As a practical matter, the money received by the artist will find its way into the larger, hopefully local, economy through purchases of supplies and/or services needed for the project, helping to sustain businesses and jobs. It's inarguably a small amount, but money is money, people, and every little bit counts. The day we start turning our noses up at a nickel here and a dime there is the day we no longer understand how a sustainable, good-for-everyone economy works, and that means curtains for us.

On a more intangible yet equally important level, an intimate setting like The Soup Chronicles encourages direct interaction between artists and the general population, creating a sense of involvement and cooperation that quite frankly does not exist in the funding game of the establishment--ya know, the ones where judges hold up a sign reading, "You must be this tall in the art world to enter," and nobody else has a say in which projects will get the dough. It is this deliberate distancing by the artsy elite that has fostered the alienation and disinterest in art that we now live with and suffer from, and any endeavor that can break through that ickiness is a welcome one indeed.

Of course, not everyone had a no-holds-barred positive reaction to the inaugural Soup Chronicles. Lisa Townsel of ThirdCoast Digest took a decidedly meh tone about the event in her piece posted on January 25:

"In a perfect world, such a fundraising idea would be ingenious. Simply put, patrons bring along their own bowls and dish out a $5 entry fee. In exchange, they hear about the artists’ backgrounds, see their work, get two ladles of soup and a slice of bread (juice, too, for an additional donation) and before the event ends, they select one artist to win the day’s money pot...

That’s in a perfect world. But on Saturday, it was apparent that this project could use a bit of smoothing out. While each artist spoke enthusiastically and coherently about artistic dreams and ambitions neither actually presented works for the audience to see."

Okay, unattainable "perfect world" aside, whaddya really think?

I asked Della about this criticism that the artists didn't provide visuals in their presentations. Her response was elegant and down-to-earth, pointing to the reality that not every artist has the money to create a mock-up or get their hands on a fancy laptop to blow the collective mind of the audience--and, btw, Schumacher did bring something to show, but she unfortunately experienced technical difficulties. Also, neither Della nor anyone else involved at the organizational level wants to interfere with the artistic vision of those applying. As she wisely stated, "Some people can talk their way into anything," and no amount of eye candy can replace good old-fashioned salesman- or womanship.

Anyhoo, there are obviously other benefits that come from micro-funding of this kind, but lemme end it here for the sake of all our eyeballs. I'd like to know your thoughts on the matter though, kids, so leave a comment, a question or a stream of consciousness tome for all to see.

For those who'd like to apply for the next round of The Soup Chronicles coming up in June, send your project proposal of 500 words or less to Della Wells via email wellsdella at yahoo dot com, or mail it to:
ABEA
631 East Hadley # 2
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

Applicants should be 18 years or older and a resident of this here state, a.k.a. Wisconsin. If ya don't win, you're free to apply again. Those who walk away with the most votes can reapply after one year.

(Thanks, Della!)

Related:
The Soup Chronicles: Cast Your Vote For The Tastiest Project
Breaking: Soup Can Nourish Art

Academic Writes Something Readable, Masses Stunned

Guest blogger Matthew Trussoni, assistant professor at the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Architectural Engineering Department and holder of several highfalutin degrees, posted a short piece on Urban Milwaukee yesterday that's not only interesting and thoughtful but very readable--a rare triumph indeed for most academics, don't cha know.

In his post, Trussoni makes the case that, compared to other burgs of the same age, Downtown Miltown's still-standing "historic cores" offer us a unique opportunity to marry the architectural past with a sustainable urban development future. This, in turn, would allow us to draw more visitors than the usual architectural history geeks--who, btw, insist on standing in the middle of the narrow sidewalks of The Third Ward, gawking upwards and forcing me to walk in the gutter--and help to solidify our identity.

Well, hey, that sounds like a stellar idea that we should probably adopt as we move forward, no? Yes!

My only criticism of the piece--and I cannot believe I'm saying this--is that it isn't longer. I mean, if you're gonna dangle a tantalizing argument like that out in front of me, can ya at least give me a tad more to chew on? More, more, I'm still not satisfied!

Here's hoping Trussoni is invited back so he can wax on about this important issue.

Link

Music Brings Blog Back From The Brink Of Boring

For some months and with only a singular exception, I've been feeling kinda meh about the postings over at Boing Boing, one of The Internets™ biggest hangouts for the geekishly hip. Equally unimpressive is its relatively new design that squashes some previous posts into a dull, micro-sized list of headlines that wouldn't attract the attention of a detail obsessed researcher. Give me somethin' to whoot about, people!

Thank the virtual gods that help has arrived in the form of guestblogger Stephen Worth, director of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive, and his Adventures In Music series posted this past Saturday. Of the fifteen posts, #13 is my ultimate fav with a fantastic video of Duke Ellington--along with super talented cool cats John Lamb on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums--improvising a swingin' jazz piece in reaction to the many sculptures of Joan Miró at the Marguerite and Aimé Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul, France:

Magnifique!

Filmed and produced by Norman Granz, the video is available for purchase as a part of a compilation DVD entitled Improvisation. From the rundown of artists highlighted--including Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Oscar Peterson--it appears to be well worth the $18.

Also, if you happen to be in and around the Côte d'Azur on the French Riviera this spring--and who won't be?--the Maeght Foundation will be reopening after having undergone a renovation. Stop on in and get a gander of Miró's work in person, and be sure to look us up at our fancy and exclusive vacation address: A sprawling, spacious pup tent on the beach!

Helping Haiti Now & Later

In honor of this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Cricky would like to encourage all to give what they can to help the people of Haiti as they struggle to survive the aftermath of last week's devastating earthquake. As well you know, Dr. King not only worked tirelessly for the cause of civil rights but was also the main architect of the Poor People's Campaign to eliminate poverty worldwide.

The level of destruction visited upon Haiti by the quake cannot be overstated. As one of the poorest nations in the world, it has struggled mightily with political strife, disease, malnutrition and starvation throughout its history. Financial mismanagement and outright thievery conducted by dictators and elected presidents alike left the country's infrastructure dangerously weak--the cost of which is now being paid by a massive loss of human life.

Please help by donating to UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and/or the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. We know times are tough, so if you cannot give money right now please consider donating a percentage of your tax refund when you receive it. Even a modest amount can do a lot and Haiti will need our help well into the future.

Thank you!

Audio Geeks Needed To Join Endless Debate

Dear Audiophiles,

Have you grown weary of quarreling with the same old know-nothing numbskulls at the same old spots on The Internets™ in an effort to satisfy your itch for a knock-down, drag-out, opinion/fact ladened argument with absolutely, positively no end ever? Well click on over to this NPR All Things Considered news item, where you're sure to find a whole new crop of folks to debate, and have at it!

The issue as presented: Why has recorded music gotten louder over the past decade? The real and paramount issue: Has the quality of recorded music gotten crappier over the past decade? Sounds like fun, don't it? You bet!

With so many angles to choose from--including the effects of digital compression during and after recording, compromised dynamic range, engineers who've blown their high- and/or low-end to such an extent they couldn't mix down a decent album if they had a bionic hearing-aid installed, quality and variety of playback equipment, and multi-generational sound degradation--this battleground has got it all! Also, heavy metal band to the gods Metallica plays a significant role in the discussion, so what are ya waitin' for?

Since its airing and posting on December 31, the piece has only garnered 91 comments--a shameful turnout by no-surrender audio dispute standards. Get over there now to re-ignite the bickering and make us proud.

Modern Male Writers--Epic Failures At Epic Sex?

Here's a subject I'd wager ya haven't had much cause to ponder lately or ever: The steam index of sex scenes in contemporary literature penned by male writers. Well, Katie Roiphe has and, as GalleyCat informs us, she saw fit to write a lengthy essay all about it for the New York Times Sunday Book Review. Hurray for hot, wordy sex! Um, actually, according to her, not so much hot as booooooring.

In her piece entitled "The Naked and the Conflicted", the author/journalist makes the argument that the young male scribes of today have thus far proved themselves incapable of writing the types of explicit, carnal, gasp-inducing scenes found in the works of such luminaries as Philip Roth, John Updike, Saul Bellow and Norman Mailer. It's the new guard vs the old guard!

Why anyone would want to compare heavy-breathing excerpts from break-the-silence novels written when the word was uttered in hushed tones as if it were some hideous disease--she's got s-e-x--to those published during our current it's-everywhere-but-we're-still-clueless time is, quite frankly, beyond me. But, hey, somebody's got to keep the literary criticism flame burning and why not do it by angerin' up some blood, eh?

Roiphe takes no prisoners, stating:

"The younger writers are so self-conscious, so steeped in a certain kind of liberal education, that their characters can’t condone even their own sexual impulses; they are, in short, too cool for sex."

Also:

"It means that we are simply witnessing the flowering of a new narcissism: boys too busy gazing at themselves in the mirror to think much about girls, boys lost in the beautiful vanity of 'I was warm and wanted her to be warm,' or the noble purity of being just a tiny bit repelled by the crude advances of the desiring world."

Huh, ya may just be on to something there--it's called navel-gazing and it's the number one activity of both genders these days.

Still, I think her analysis rings a tad hollow. If the criticism is that today's male novelists are drafting male protagonists that are flat, shallow and uninteresting, then, yes, the sex/near-sex scenes will be flat, shallow and uninteresting--not to mention irritating--as well. Believe you me, I get bored too when an artist is lazy about his/her craft and doesn't push the work. But if, on the other hand, they're depicting fairly well-developed, honest characters with conflicted emotions, unsteady thoughts, mental libido checks, and general uncertainty when it comes to sex, aren't they at least attempting to present the reader with a more accurate portrayal of the internal workings of the male mind and heart than the screw-anything-that-moves, though admittedly complex men created by Roth, Updike, Bellow and Mailer? I'm not defending the youngins or demonizing the elders, I'm just asking if that may be the intent.

Anyhoo, what filled me with utter giggles is that right above the GalleyCat post pointing us to the article bemoaning the impotent efforts--couldn't resist--and sexual malaise of modern-day writers of the male persuasion was another post about The Most Pirated Digital Books of 2009. Of the ten, four are about sex, with the classic Indian bestseller of all time, Kamasutra, comin' in on top. Take heart, Ms. Roiphe. Seems the kids are still as curious and imaginative as they've always been, they just haven't figured out how to write about it to your taste yet.

Art Images As Big As Africa Itself

Xeni Jardin, Boing Boing's high priestess of the hipster geek collective, scored a major digital journalism win eight days ago by securing a nearly-impossible-to-obtain publisher permission to post an exclusive selection of wide-format images from the recently released Contemporary African Art Since 1980. While Jardin did have the power of nepotism on her side--her mom was the copy editor--we care not for it is a thing of beauty we all can enjoy!

Dating back to a time before some of y'all were even born--shudder--and packed with full-color images of work by Yinka Shonibare MBE--who, by the way, was featured in this season's Art:21–Art in the Twenty-First Century episode "Transformation"--Samuel Fosso, Chéri Samba (a.k.a. Samba wa Mbimba N’zingo Nuni Masi Ndo Mbasi), Lalla Essaydi, and others, this 4.8 pound paperback monster appears to be just the collection of late 20th through very early 21st Century African art we've been waiting for.

Now, if we could only get some decent books focused on regional artists maybe we could finally convince our geographically challenged and/or stubborn fellow Americans--and there are shamefully many--that Africa is not a country it's a continent. Sheesh!

Link

Still In Limbo: America's Black Holocaust Museum

WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio reported this morning that America's Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) continues its search for financial help while looking for a new building to house its unparalleled collection documenting the struggles and achievements of African descendants in the United States. ABHM was forced to close its doors last year due to economic hardship and its website is now defunct.

As the only institution of its kind, ABHM is a invaluable cultural, historical and educational resource for Milwaukee, the nation and the world. Here's hoping that the board and the city can find a way to reinstate the museum. Should it fail to reopen, we shall all share in that failure and be guilty of robbing current and future generations of a truth that must be told.

Link

Related:
America's Black Holocaust Museum on the Brink
America's Black Holocaust Museum Needs Your Help