CricketToes

Words & Images: A Conversation

Something's happening over at Tumblr. Something that makes me want to use adverb + adjective phrases like "oddly delightful," "playfully cryptic," "strangely gemütlich"--using a German thesaurus on occasion is not a crime people! This something is called shutters/dead ends/lens/pens--all in lowercase, thank you--and it's a something y'all should check out now and continue to take a peek at for the foreseeable future.

This collaborative project is the virtual brainchild of two Miltown artists, writer David Press and visual artist/photographer William Zuback, the latter of whom has been so prolific over recent years he's earned himself several posts on this here bloggity blog as well as attention from other media outlets.

So the way shutters/dead ends/lens/pens works is this: David posts prose and William replies with a photo, then William posts a photo and David replies with prose, and back and forth and forth and back it goes until both their minds are spent and the whole of the Interwebs explodes! Okay, that last part is a wee bit of an exaggeration but that's why you keep comin' back here, right? Don't deny it.

Thus far they've posted two conversations and David is now waiting--as are we all--for William's reply--it's been a whole day, so come on already! I must say that Chapter Three's prose reads like an argument between Hemingway and Faulkner, with Will getting impatient with Papa's short, sharp shock style and just taking over, churning out words with absolutely no punctuation and a gigantic sigh of relief. Strangely gemütlich, really.

(Thanks, Bill!)

Related:
Local Photog Makes Good, Image & Word Nerds Cheer!

True Rumor: Work On Artifacts Sequel Has Begun!

When one manages to live through the simultaneously gratifying and agonizing experience of writing a novel, emerging more or less intact if just a bit off-kilter for a while, there is a natural reticence to begin that process all over again. Oh, the bitter weeping and creepy low giggling! Ah, the tearing of hair and joyous shouts of, "That's it!"

But one thing is true for any writer worth his/her ink: The words never stop comin' and if ya don't get 'em outta your brainpan they will drive you to a madness more profound than that of King George III or perhaps Bugs Bunny when he was really and awesomely off his nut--I refer you to this clip from 1952 as proof.

Being fully aware of this danger to the mind and wishing to keep some measure of my sanity--not all of it, of course--I announce today that work on the sequel to my first novel Artifacts is under way!

Now, certainly not every novel should have a sequel. A follow-up to Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, for instance, would be categorically absurd as that masterpiece is beautifully and wholly complete. But not every story can be told in one installment. Also, many readers of Artifacts have clamored in my ear for more, more, more! And while I am not one to easily crumble to peer pressure, I too believe more, etc. is a very fine idea.

I cannot give you a publication date at this time--sheesh, I just started, kids!--but I will try to provide periodic progress reports on the official Artifacts blog. In the meantime, if you haven't yet read the original, click on over to artifactsnovel.com where you can download the first three chapters for free and then buy the whole thing if ya like!

Related:
Artifacts Goes EPUB
Artifacts Novel Is Here!

Short Film Proves Artists' Greatest Unifier Is Disunity

I'm a bit late in bringing this quirky little film to your attention, but part of the beauty/horror of The Internets™ is that once somethin' is posted it gains a virtual immortal life completely resistant to all methods of extinguishment. Any booze lovin', camera muggin' fool can tell ya that.

Anyhoo, seems one Mark Cherek--with assistance from Scott Radtke and Jeremy Mews--recently cobbled together a short called The Last Laugh (this is not an art film), featuring the humble pontifications of a range of local artists who exhibited their work in Luckystar Studio's show of the same name at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) on September 24, 2010.

Let's take a peek at Part 1, shall we?

   

And with that we have certifiable proof of what we've known all along: No two artists approach the work or process of creation in the same manner, nor do they even come close to a consensus on the reasons why they do it or the best way to go about it, thereby demonstrating the basis of their perfect union as disunion. Whoa, now that's deep and true, people!

To see more of this powerful short documentary that's sure to wake the world from its slumbering coma and change all of our basic notions of democracy, go to Luckystar's blog (UPDATE: This blog is gone, baby, gone) or YouTube channel.

Also, just in case you missed it, Luckystar Studio has grandly reopened its gallery, now on the 3rd floor of the Marshall building, 207 E. Buffalo Street, in Milwaukee's Third Ward. By my count, that makes it number three for these kids--third time's the charm!

(Thanks, Kev & Dave!)

Related:
UPDATE: Straight from LuckyStar's Satellite of Truth
Luckystar Studio Gallery Goes Bye-Bye--Again

Video Confession: 3 Guys, 3 Beers & Modern Dance

Like so much of what we've labeled Modern and sometimes confusingly Contemporary Art--which is it, people? Stuff made in the here-n-now or stuff made since the end of WWII? Sheesh!--Modern Dance has received a resounding and unequivocal "Meh" from the majority of the general public. This reaction is based on an uncomfortable, icky feeling that ya must have to know something about it in order to get it.

Most practitioners of the art form, however, would argue that, while it's a fantastical thing if you're able to grasp a particular underlying meaning and/or reference, it is much more important that you experience a piece at a visceral level. Feel it first 'cause there's plenty of time to think about it later.

In an effort to expose the anxiety that most folks feel about Modern Dance, three regular fellers recently sat down at a bar in Miltown with beers in hand to confess their own trepidation toward the art and how they've managed overcome it:

 

Did ya recognize the oh-so brave souls in that video, kids? That's right, it's David Ravel--Director of Alverno Presents--artist Milan Zori--a.k.a Dwellephant--and 91.7 WMSE's own Ryan Schleicher. Which just goes to show ya that even creative types carry around their own super secret fears about some forms of art.

Apparently, there's gonna be two more of these insightful video confessions that'll be posted on David's blog in the near future, so I encourage all of ya to tune in and spread the word. Let's all lose our fear together!

(via @muzzleofbees)

Related:
Bill T. Jones & The Dance Of History

Get Your Daily Dose Of Awesomeness At Swissmiss

There's a virtual horde of art and design bloggers out here on The Internets™, all vying for your multi-divided attention--Hi, there!--but few keep their eyes as open and peeled to things worth knowin' about as Tina Roth Eisenberg, author extraordinaire of Swissmiss.

To wit, her relatively recent and apparently breaking post directing our peepers and flesh-ensconced listening devices to The PEN Story:

Wowsie wow wow!

If you've never been to Miss Swiss' blog, I highly encourage you to browse it today, tomorrow and everyday.

(Thanks, Kev!)

Alderman Unwittingly Shows His Love For Graffiti Art

By now y'all have got to be thoroughly sick of hearing about Milwaukee Alderman Bob "Never Saw A Camera/Mic I Didn't Want To Shove My Mug Into" Donovan's hysteric meltdown in front of local news media by shouting at a brilliantly calm, cool and collected Sarah Patterson--executive director of TRUE Skool--on the street, claiming that a temporary mural created by the organization's youth members is "garbage" and "crap" and et al. If you're not completely burned-out on the story or ya just wanna relive the magic again--and who doesn't, huh?--go to CBS 58's video of the scene and read/reread Mary Louise Schumacher's post at Art City--don't forget the comments!

Though we could go on and on about the fact that graffiti art--or aerosol art, if you prefer--is indeed a legitimate art form, which does not include lame, unimaginative tagging, and that folks are free to disagree on the merit, message, overall execution, color palette, whatever until their faces and/or brains turn a pretty blue, we'd like to focus on the brighter side of this old-school government official vs new-school art org tiff.

And what might that be? Well, it seems that the "honorable" alderman's knee-jerk tirade and borderline if not actual defamatory remarks about TRUE Skool--I'll leave that up to the legal eagles--has brought more attention and support to the nonprofit and its positive programming then it could've garnered over several years on its own. Haha and Whoot!

To quote TS' recent press release, entitled The REAL Truth about TRUE Skool, Inc.:

"Since this incident unfolded TRUE Skool has received an overwhelming amount of support from partner agencies, parents, educators, business owners, and youth from throughout the country. True Skool has received an unprecedented amount of requests for murals, and program-related partnerships."

Thank you, Ald. Donovan! We of the artsy community haven't had such effective, albeit unwitting, free publicity since AM talk radio darlin'-of-the-right host Mark Belling decided to hand the My Vote Performs project a publicity boost by reading its press release on-air in October of 2008.

Anyone else wanna step-up and prove they can't tell the difference between sloppy, lazy scribbles on a wall and full-on expressive murals that can spark thoughtful debate? Bring it on, and thank you in advance. Love, The Arts.

UPDATE: Mary Louise Schumacher has bravely stepped into the fray with not one but two more posts on this contentious topic and--boy, howdy!--has it gotten ugly over there. Nothing brings citizens together like the opportunity to anonymously cut each other off at the knees, eh?

Related:
Help The Kids Earn Some Cash/Make Art
Performance Art's New Promotional Director: Mark Belling!

Critics Agree On The Art Of Reality TV--Sort Of

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Mary Louise Schumacher posted a review on Tuesday, June 8, of the premier episode of Bravo's new reality series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. Seeing as her piece appeared a day before the show was scheduled to air, it's clear that she's got a helluva lot more pull with fancy teevee folks than we ever imagined. Work it, girl!

By and large, Schumacher casts an unflinchingly critical eye on the show, offering up a few well-placed zingers. To wit:

"All of the well-worn conventions of reality TV are here – the crazy assignments, the snooty judges and the contestants who play their respective roles. There’s the diva that thinks she’s all that, the unworldly underdog, the curvy sex kitten and the sage-if-snippy elder of the group, for instance.

But pair the predictability of that template with cringe-worthy art-world clichés about the 'essence' of art and 'living to create' and you’ve got a Dogs Playing Poker-level disaster in the making."

Haha, right on!

Although, after unwisely watching the first episode myself this morning on The Interwebs™, I'd honestly rather stare at those static card playin' pooches for some 44 minutes than waste another second on this art-n-inflatable bunny show. Yep, the ridiculously hallowed name of Jeff Koons was dropped twice in the first ten minutes, so Yippee!

Anyhoo, it is exactly at that point where the venerable Ms. Schumacher and I part ways. She's decided to keep tuning in to the series--that is, until it's inevitable and merciful cancellation--and I've decided to pave over that area of my gray matter's memory and get on with my life.

So, where do you come down? Watch the show yourself here and chime in with your thoughts, criticisms and one-liners. A word of warning, however: If you value your current state of intelligence, don't watch it alone.

Related:

Reality TV's Latest Teachable Moment: Artists Can Be Stupid Whores Too!

Music Nuts Take Drum Fill Quiz With Predictable Geeky Results

Robin Hilton at NPR Music's All Songs Considered posted a pop quiz on Wednesday designed to test your Rock And/Or Roll drum fill knowledge, sending pro and amateur air drum enthusiasts--yes, there is such a thing as a pro musical mimic--into frantic conniptions, complete with girlish shrills of "OMG! This is sooooooo much fun!"

Currently there are 173 comments to the post, containing not only answers to the quiz but the usual nitpicky, killjoy remarks found in each and every discussion about music that drives most sensible folks to either run for the hills or order another stiff drink to dull the nagging sound of pointless absurdity. Now doesn't that sound like a hoot? You bet!

There are ten audio clips listed from well known tunes--two of which are a mere and measly one second--so you can prove your outstanding drum geekery once and for all. Though musical scholars have no definitive proof, the best advice for getting a high score has been tentatively attributed to AC/DC's legendary stick jockey Phil Rudd: Don't think, man, just feel.

Link

Related:
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Audio Geeks Needed To Join Endless Debate

Virtual Choir Makes Actual Music

Composer, conductor and all 'round choral/symphonic/musical hottie Eric Whitacre recently posted the second edition of his Virtual Choir project on the Tube o' You, Lux Aurumque:

Quite the little mindblower, ain't it? And not bad for a massive flock of songbirds scattered across 12 different countries.

Maybe Whitacre should think about doing the next one live. The inevitable technical difficulties would make it the experimental music event of the year!

Link (via Thomas Cott's "You've Cott Mail")

Theatre Editor Turns Prophet Of The Coming Apocalypse

David Cote, theatre editor for Time Out New York and well known critic, posted a nearly hysterical item at the Guardian yesterday, bemoaning the slash-n-burn techniques US publishers are employing to hand out pink slips to longtime, established critics. And when I say hysterical, I mean both in his delivery and in my own response of uncontrollable laughter.

Citing Variety's decision to cut loose chief film critic Todd McCarthy and chief theatre critic David Rooney on Monday--which is indeed sad--Cote's piece quickly spirals out of the realm of logic and into a diatribe of civilization-ending consequences should this trend continue.

He actually compares it with Alan Weisman's book The World without Us, stating, "You've seen the books speculating on what our cities would look like if humans vanished and nature were allowed to spread unchecked. Let's imagine a world without critics (please indulge my paranoid prognostication)." Well, yes, by all means, let's indulge him, shall we? Ha!

Combine that with his own less than stellar use of the English language--example: "... a parade of jobbing freelancers with little experience and even littler clout." Littler? Are you serious? Yes, it's a word, but that doesn't mean you have to use it. Sheesh!--and his analogy that "critics, reviewers, consumer reporters – call us what you will – are the dung beetles of culture. We consume excrement, enriching the soil and protecting livestock from bacterial infection in the process," and you've got the makings for a very public display of the crazies.

Now, don't get me wrong, kids, I do believe that critics play an important, if sometimes irritating, role in the health of the artistic community, but let's have a bit of perspective here. And for Pete's sake, whatever it is you're ingesting that makes you think it's an awesome idea to call the work that artists do "excrement"--the sole reason you have a job, btw--I suggest you put it down and phone a medical professional immediately. Be sure to ask for a lollipop on your way out.

Link (via Thomas Cott's "You've Cott Mail")