Monday 30 April 2012

René Magritte - La Période Vache

 René Magritte - La Famine, 1948

"I love subversive humour, freckles, knees, the long hair of women, the dreams of young children at liberty, a young girl running in the street."
René Magritte

René Magritte - Prince Charming, 1948

René Magritte numbers not only among the most important, but also among the most popular artists of the twentieth century. Often against the grain of the tendencies in the arts of his time, the Belgian Surrealist painter developed a unique and unmistakable pictorial language ... However, a fascinating period of the artist's landmark oeuvre has remained nearly unknown: his so-called période vache. In 1948, Magritte made a group of paintings and gouaches distinctly different from the rest of his work for his first solo exhibition in Paris. Relying on a new, fast and aggressive style of painting - and particularly inspired by popular sources such as caricatures and comics, but also interspersing his works with stylistic quotations from artists like James Ensor or Henri Matisse - Magritte, within only a few weeks, produced about thirty entirely uncharacteristic works that caused an outrage in Paris. The artist deliberately conceived the exhibition as a provocation of and an assault on the Parisian public. Painting in anunexpectedly crude, playful, and intentionally "bad" manner, he reflected his own work and painting in general.
http://www.artrepublic.com/exhibitions/197-rene-magritte-1948-la-periode-vache.html
 
René Magritte - L’Ellipse , 1948

In 1948, Magritte made a group of paintings and gouaches distinctly different from the rest of his work for his first solo exhibition in Paris. Relying on a new, fast and aggressive style of painting – and particularly inspired by popular sources such as caricatures and comics, but also interspersing his works with stylistic quotations from artists like James Ensor or Henri Matisse – Magritte, within only a few weeks, produced about thirty entirely uncharacteristic works that caused an outrage in Paris. The artist deliberately conceived the exhibition as a provocation of and an assault on the Parisian public. Painting in an unexpectedly crude, playful, and intentionally “bad” manner, he reflected his own work and painting in general ... The term “vache” used by Magritte for his new group of works is mostly understood as an ironical allusion to the historical movement of the Fauves, whose exaggerated coloring Magritte’s works parodied as much as their decoratively pleasing character. Yet in French, “vache” does not only mean “cow,” but also as much as “mean” or “nasty”; “vacherie” signifies a mean trick. Thus, the term hints at the aggressive and deliberately crude quality characteristic of the pictures ... Regarding both their motifs and their style, the works of Magritte’s Période vache do not constitute a consistent ensemble but rather present themselves as a patchwork of different pseudo-styles borrowing more or less openly from other artists and drawing on the artist’s own earlier works. These elements are transformed into something comic, trivial, or grotesque by being blended with aspects of popular visual culture.
http://www.e-flux.com/announcements/rene-magritte-la-periode-vache/
 
René Magritte - The Old Soldier, 1945

Magritte’s période vache is an anachronism, an exercise in perversity in which was the celebrated artist’s response to the opportunity for a solo show in a city that he’d left in 1931 and with which he’d had a fractious relationship ever since ... On reflection, these works are an important (first?) step on a journey through painting that was joined just over two decades later by artists such as Jörg Immendorff and Georg Baselitz in Europe, or Philip Guston in the USA, and then subsequently by artists such Martin Kippenberger, Maria Lassnig, George Condo, Sean Landers and even Paul McCarthy. These figures all like to play in the same mucky sandpit of grotesque figuration, dark comedy and bawdy sexuality. It is pleasing to think of Magritte clearing the space for such an important and fruitful discourse in a brisk two-month career cul-de-sac to which he’d never return. I almost want to say that what is remarkable here is that he achieved this by making paintings that ‘didn’t really mean it’. Remembering however his comment to Scutenaire, what makes the series really extraordinary in the wily artist’s oeuvre is that he meant it too much.
http://blog.frieze.com/ceci_nest_pas_magritte/
 
René Magritte - The Mark, 1948

Saturday 28 April 2012

receipts

Bought a few items:

James Champagne - Grimoire: A Compendium of Neo-Goth Narratives, $17.99

Valerie Solanas - SCUM Manifesto, £1.31

Levon Vincent - Fabric 63 CD, £5.74

Ben 'Jack Your Body' Robinson Zazou House Extravaganza playlist 27.04.12


To the Kage last night for the Zazou House Extravaganza, where DJ Ben 'Jack Your Body' Robinson played a few records. Clicking on the titles will take you to the associated Discogs page for each release:

Quid Pro Quo – Dance Planet
Seaside Houz Boyz – Deephouz Yall
Farley J.M.F. – Yes He Saved Me (Gene Hunt Mix)
The Sweat Boyz – Do You Want To Perculate?
Gwendolyn – Come To Me
The Elect - I'm House
Marcus Mixx - U Blow Girl (Mouth Mix)
Sleezy D – Trust
AFX - PWSteal.Ldpinch.D
D'Marc Cantu – Stand Up
Jack Master Funk - Aw Shucks (Let's Go Let's Go) (Dub Shucks)

Zazou House Extravaganza @ Kage 27.04.12 pictures

To the Kage last night for the inaugural Zazou House Extravaganza. I took a few photos and here they are:

The name of the club is Zazou

Still from The UnUsual Suspects: Once Upon A Time In House Music
 
Il Discotto bangs the records

Ben 'Jack Your Body' Robinson in the mix

Assorted Zazouers

Behind the scenes

Stefan Blomeier mans the controls

Lost within the fog and strobe

Il Discotto in the mix

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Zazou House Extravaganza @ Kage 27.04.12

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
THIS FRIDAY @ KAGE £5/£2.50 B4 12
 ZAZOU HOUSE EXTRAVAGANZA
HOUSE SOUNDS 80S/90S/PRESENT
RAW/JACKING/DEEP/EXPERIMENTAL
CHEAP DRINKS PROMOS
 

Monday 23 April 2012

sore















William S Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, 1953


Extract from William S Burroughs - Letters 1945-59:

[June 16, 1954
Tangier]
Dear Allen, 
   There is an end-of-the-world feeling in Tangiers, with its glut of nylon shirts, Swiss watches, Scotch and sex and opiates sold across the counter. Something sinister in complex laissez faire. And the new police chief up there on the hill accumulating dossiers. I suspect him of unspeakable fetishistic practices with his files. 
   When the druggist sells me my daily box of Eukodol ampules he smirks like I had picked up the bait to a trap. The whole town is a trap and one day it will close. Not snap shut but close slowly. We will see it closing, but there will be no escape,  no place to go.
   Allen, I never had a habit like this before. Shooting every two hours. Maybe it is the Eukodol, which is semisynthetic. Trust the Germans to concoct some really evil shit. It acts direct on nerve centers. This stufff is more like coke than morphine. A shot of Eukodol hits the head first with a rush of pleasure. Ten minutes later you want another shot. Between shots you are just killing time. I can't control this stuff any more than I can control the use of coke. Morphine controls itself, like eating. When you are loaded on M. you don't want another shot any more than you want to eat on a full stomach. 
   From taking so many shots I have an open sore where I can slide the needle right into a vein. The sore stays open like a red, festering mouth, swollen and obscene [...]

Sunday 22 April 2012

The Short Wave Mystery

Whoever Knew his name, knew he was all to blame. He knew too much, but they didn't care. All of his friends, said it was, so unfair. Seasons are passing, passing by, leaving behind us, tears in our eyes, casting out omens, the casting out of friends, still there lies nothing, to what we'll find, in the the end. Where is the answer, what is the cure? Is there an answer? Please open the door. What is the question, What is the cure? Is there an answer, please open the door. Where is the answer? WSCollectiveRecords 1 month ago THE SHORTWAVE MYSTERY – Down and Out in a Town of Yardsales LP US 2010 WS201001 6 Tracks 40'42'' In 1983, Gregory Windrum Scoggin formed THE SHORTWAVE MYSTERY in which he did incorporate some of his friends (Jason Wright, Tom Wright and Dave Skinner). As influences he points out D.A.F., Der Plan as well as OMD or Depeche Mode, and in general the early 80’s New Wave movement, which is good as his music was then about incorporate the right portion of melancholy and melody, that make those tracks so substantial and stand up the test against time (at least for us). In 1985, they released oen 12”EP “Pilots” (Good Records, Good-1) which became an incredibly sought-after and high-priced gem in recent years (after it has been hyped immensely on ebay). All tracks on this MLP were recorded in 1983/84 and remixed in 2009/10. There is really no need to describe every song individually, they are all nothing but the most beautiful melancholic electropop songs with rich textures Review by AnnaLogue Jul 30, 2010 http://www.discogs.com/Shortwave-Mystery-The-Down-And-Out-In-A-Town-Of-Yardsales/release/2301478 The Shortwave Mystery was formed in 1983 by synthesist/programmer/songrwriter Gregory Scoggin. The Shortwave Mystery came unto its own via several incantations of musical electronic experimentation. Prior to the 'electro-melancholic-pop' sound of the SWM, several friends of Scoggins' (Scott Campbell-synths, Linda George-Vocals-as well as those who were to form the final SWM) played various live and recorded shows running the gamut from electro-noise akin to Early Chrome or Cabaret Voltaire on up to OMD. Although all had divergent musical influences coming together for performances that lent themselves to the dancefloor...Scoggin took more influence in his own compositions from the more Europeon electro-pop/disco/dance/new wave outfits like New Musik and German Art school pioneers Der Plan. Review by WSCollective Jun 16, 2010 http://www.discogs.com/Short-Wave-Mystery-Pilots/release/1395467 Discogs price €1800.00

Saturday 21 April 2012

Thursday 19 April 2012

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

On Saturday May 5th I'll have some work featured in an event put together by Now Now:



Saturday, May 5, 2012
7:00pm

Kinning Park Community Complex, Glasgow

Arm-a-geddon--a--hardon just thinkin about it.

We invite you to an event to mark the end of the world as we know it and see in the bells of the new dawn.

Last night a spirit came to us all six of us while we were in our beds. And, before you say it, no it wasn't a dream.... How could we all have the exact same dream at the exact same time? Impossible. So yes, this spirit. It spoke to us in a language that wasn't English but somehow we all understood perfectly and the message was very clear. It was a message we were to pass on to the world

“All this has to finish” It said.”The party’s over, it’s getting boring. On the 6th of may 2012 this will all cease to be and do you know what? Arm-a-geddon--a-hardon just thinkin about it”

It will be an event with many purposes: to celebrate, commemorate, repent, speculate...

We bring to you a pandemonium of installations, performances, video, musical acts and artworks on the night before we all fall into eternal oblivion FEATURING:

BELINDA GILBERT SCOTT
DAVID BARBAROSSA & KIMBERLEY BRIGHT
NEIL SCOTT & STUART MCADAM
CONSTANTIN HERTENSTEIN
ADOPTED AS HOLOGRAPH
CELIEMAS FESTIVE BAND
JEKATERINA PETROVA
CHRISTINE CHEUNG
DELIBERATE CRUMBS
CLEMENS WILHELM
LUCA GEORGE
GREER PESTER
NEIL NODZAK
LIBBY WALKER
HOLLY KEASEY
BLAC TALC
MEN & MACHINES
SHITHAWKS
RACHEL WALKER
PESTER & ROSSI
JANINE FEARN
ROSS MCCRAE
BEN ROBINSON
KATE MACKESON
CATHERINE WEIR
SARAH MESSENGER
CATRIN JEANS
PERRI MACKENZIE
BETH SAVAGE
ERIK SMITH
...AND YOU

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Email nownowprojects@gmail.com for info.

www.05-05-12.com

psychedelic double rainbow

This week my friend Andrew requested an image based on the popular double rainbow internet meme for a project he is doing, so I made this thing:

Saturday 14 April 2012

Disemboweling THE SHAPE 13.04.12 pictures

To the Generator last night for Disemboweling THE SHAPE, "a bloodstained conversational event intended to unearth the thematic elements established throughout THE SHAPE". I discussed my artwork Death Paints Red Daubings in the context of giallo cinema, tragedy and other artworks featured in the show.


Silhouette of artist Lachlann Rattray visible in the foreground.


Ben Robinson - Death Paints Red Daubings


Still from a clip of Dario Argento's Tenebre, selected by Generator's committee to introduce the event.


Millais - Ophelia (1851-52), discussed by your correspondent in the context of giallo cinema and tragedy: "I'm not into Pre-Raphaelite paintings and I'm not into necrophilia."


Still from an 11-minute clip of Georges Franju's Eyes Without a Face (Les yeux sans visage), selected in his absence by artist Darren Banks.

Friday 13 April 2012

receipts

Bought a few items:


Joe Smooth, Lady Maia, Chip E., and Frankie Knuckles at Chicago Trax studio
THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS – THE STORY OF CHICAGO HOUSE. “The Unusual Suspects- Once Upon A Time In House Music” is a 99 minute music documentary by Chip “Chip E” Eberhart about the history of Chicago’s House Music scene featuring the scene’s most notable figures like Steve “Silk” Hurley, Jesse Saunders, Lolleta Holloway and more. DVD, £4.00


ANDY WARHOL’S VINYL / THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO. Excellent quality prints of both seminal films: Warhol's strange interpretation of 'A Clockwork Orange.' Includes Gerard dancing to the Martha and the Vandellas classic 'Nowhere to Run' and being tortured by professional sadists. + the ultimate study of the enduring Factory rock group. DVD, £4.00


Gwendolyn / Z-Factor – House Of Trax Vol. 5 (Rush Hour) 12", £7.00


Jack Master Funk – Aw Shucks (Let's Go Let's Go) (House Records) 12", £9.00


Michaelangelo – You Can Do It (Sunset) 12", £2.15

Thursday 12 April 2012

Zazou House Extravaganza @ Kage 27.04.12


*
Friday, April 27, 2012
*
11:00pm until 2:30am

A night dedicated to the 80s house sounds inspired and influenced by the italo/disco/electro/synth records we usually play at Zazou.
£5 ENTRY/ HALF PRICE BEFORE 12

House sounds 80s/90s/Present - Raw/Jacking//Deep/Experimental/Avant Garde
With
... Ben "Jack Your Body" Robinson
Il Discotto & Stefan Blomeier

There must be a hundred records with voice-overs asking, "What is house?" The answer is always some greeting card bullshit about "life, love, happiness...." … House is not universal. House is hyper-specific … Dj Sprinkles

Records by -
Mr Fingers/Ron Hardy/Armando/Marcus Mixx/Larry Heard/Theo Parrish/Legowelt/Levon Vincent/Adonis/Gherkin Jerks/Steve Poindexter/Hieroglyphic Being/Jamie Principle/Virgo 4/Dj Pierre/Lil Louis/Phuture/Sleezy D/Z Factor/Gene Hunt/Knight Action & many more.........

LINK

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Disemboweling THE SHAPE 13.04.12


To celebrate the final weekend of THE SHAPE, Generator Projects will host "Disemboweling THE SHAPE"; a bloodstained conversational event intended to unearth the thematic elements established throughout THE SHAPE. Featuring visceral artist commentaries and short film screenings, the event is a one-off opportunity to delve into the entrails of THE SHAPE. Friday 13th April at 7pm. BYOB.
LINK