Amanda Smith

        While perusing the internet a few days back for something completely unrelated (I can't even remember what) I stumbled upon the ceramic work of Amanda Smith, and was quickly reminded of both Grayson Perry and Henry Darger, both of whose work I love dearly. So as an introduction to the two of them, (their posts will come next) here is Amanda Smith, who I believe has been influenced by (or at least falls in line with) both of them.
        I can't find a whole lot on her, but she's a recent graduate (BFA Bowling Green State University '03 and MFA San Jose State University 2008). Her ceramic pieces feature mainly young girls, with a few (more recent ones) seeming to have notable political undertones while some seem just strange (in an extremely pleasant way mind you). Many of them feature multiples, frequently miniature multiples, which are extremely eerie, an unexpected quality when approaching a ceramic piece. All of her work is pretty bizarre, and really interesting. And despite my instant connection to Darger and Perry, her work has a real voice to it. There is definitely a theme of the female identity, and each of her pieces has a lot going on in it. They're truly narrative and intriguing. I liked them all so much that I had an impossible time choosing which ones to put here, so I urge you all to check out her website! I only wish I could see them in person!

Amanda Smith's website
If anyone knows or finds out anything else about her, please leave a comment!



images: amandamichellesmith.com

Compagnia della Fortezza

        To finish off the run of Alice in Wonderland posts I've got going on here, I'd like to present you with this gem........ images from "Alice in Wonderland, a Theatrical Essay on the End of a Civilization", which debuted this week, the most recent show by the inmate-theatre group Compagnia della Fortezza, out of Volterra Italy. The work is loosely based on Alice in Wonderland but includes soliloquies from other famous writers such as Shakespeare and Chekhov.
        A friend sent me this article from The New York Times website, and before even realizing that these were convicts parading around in Wonderland-themed drag I was squirming with excitement. Only in Europe, I sighed to myself. It is stated that both prison and prisoners declined to say what they were in for, but around fifty are involved on a regular basis, both on stage and behind the scenes, and they take this opportunity very seriously (they are trusted with chainsaws and the like while building sets, and once while touring in 1995 several actors robbed banks in between shows and were "ostracized by fellow inmates" - as well as sentenced to more prison time).
        In any case, the schematics and politics of this theater are extremely interesting, so I would read the article for that, but at the very least take a look at the slide show- the costumes are FABULOUS!

"Maximum Security and a Starring Role"




images: nytimes.com

Anna Gaskell

        On the note of Alice in Wonderland, I recently received (this) book of one of my favorite photographers, Anna Gaskell, who (I believe I mentioned in my post on Svankmajer) has done some really amazing work on Alice.
        Alice in Wonderland is probably one of the most reworked pieces of literature in the art world, photographers, film artists, illustrators- the story is so relatable, clever, and well known that it's difficult to not want to get your hands into it. Because of the well known factor (many since Disney's animated release in 1951 seem to have that version ingrained into us the same way we know the story of snow white and the seven dwarves) many artistic interpretations of Carroll's story seem cliched or just register as something we have already seen.
        My interest in artistic renderings of Alice lie in where the artist is using Carroll's same wit and intent, but has either taken the story in a different direction (a la Svankmajer) or is using the classic story and characters to say something different or stretch ideas alluded to in the book.
        Much (if not all) of Gaskell's work is about, or featuring, young girls. Hide is her interpretation of the Grimm fairytale The Magic Donkey, in which a girl creates a costume for herself of animal hides in order to escape the advances of her father. In By Proxy a group of (varying aged) girls are dressed as nurses in the snow, representing both Rudolf Erich Raspe's Saly Salt and Genene Jones, a nurse convicted in 1984 of killing her charges. Both her series Wonder and Override revolve around Alice, including inspirations from various old films and texts as well.
        The idea of multiples is introduced in Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, the companion to Alice in Wonderland, in which she travels through a mirror rather than a rabbit hole, and suggests that perhaps there are two of her, one on each side. In both her series Wonder and Override, Gaskell uses more than one Alice (in Wonder a pair of twins, and in Override five girls dressed as Alice, often in poses that transform them into one large, mal-formed girl.        The compositions are jarring, and the actions of the girls are so ambiguous that it is often difficult to decipher what exactly they doing, leading to a plethora of questions Gaskell's work is quite familiar with, including good v. evil, issues of sexuality and the innocence (or lack thereof) of children.
        Gaskell, while including Carroll's ideas, has visually transformed images that I have seen a thousand times over, and I have fallen in love with them (as well as the story, all over again). Gaskell is one of my favorite photographers, and I urge you to spend some time looking at her work. Much of it is not online (or at least I've been unable to find it, reason that I got one of her books), though there is still quite a bit if you spend some time on google, but if you find yourself at a good library or bookstore you should take a look through something of hers. (The book I have also features illustrations in pen and ink, which are really cool and definitely reflect who Gaskell would seem to be as an artist and woman.)

Hide Series
The Guggenheim's online collection


images: guggenheim.org

Alice

        Tim Burton has always been one of my favorite artists. i believe the first time i saw The Nightmare Before Christmas i was about six or seven, and i was absolutely entranced by it- if anything i believe he gave me my early appreciation for beauty in darkness. since then i have seen most of his films (give or take a "planet of the apes" or two that i couldn't bring myself to watch) and poured over his writing and drawings, and have never ceased to be inspired by his style and spirit.
        i'm sure by now that most people have heard that he has taken a swing at Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, which if you have read my previous post on Jan Svankmajer, you will know i have seen many (and been impressed by few) film versions of. anyway, promo pictures have been out for a while, but today a trailer was released, so i figured i would share it. i will say, that he does not seem to be staying particularly true to the book, but then again Disney's last whack at it was (albeit cute) pretty distant from the book as well, and my favorite film version really only mirrors the book in feel and mood. (and on a similar note i'll add that i'm disappointed that this is being footed by Disney, as I'm sure Burton could've pushed things much further with another company, but Disney is sure to make bank with Burton + Depp, so it was a smart move on their part and i'm sure they gave him a huge budget because of it)
        Burton's Alice at the very least promises to be exciting and visually striking, the trailer is enough to make you salivate. so take a look, and i'm sure i'll have more to say once i've seen the entire film! (which, fyi, comes out March 5 2010)

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland Trailer



images: imdb.com

Jean-Michel Basquiat

        I recently watched Downtown 81, a film featuring Jean-Michel Basquiat, chronicling the early 80's downtown NY art and music scene. While I had trouble staying 100% involved with the film, it gives a really interesting taste of not only the scene but also of Basquiat's personality.
        When I was little, my dad's parents had a small collection of children's books in their family room for me and my cousins to read, and I only remember three of them. One was a pop-up murder mystery book that had three different endings, one was a very strange Dr. Seuss book that I can't for the life of me remember the title of, only that it involved travel and extremely odd creatures (it was not Oh the Places You'll Go), and the third was the illustrated version of Maya Angelou's poem Life Doesn't Frighten Me. This one I had completely forgotten about until watching the film, but immediately remembered being transfixed by Basquiat's odd paintings.

        Cut short at the young age of 28 (only eight years after he began to gain recognition), Basquiat was not only an amazing artist, but an important person in art history.
        His paintings are absolutely beautiful, but also erratic in a nature that perhaps reflected Basquait himself, who was addicted to drugs and a few years before his death described as "increasingly paranoid". His images are extremely dense, often with scribbled text, skeletal figures and collage (though, two years before his death his style changed to figures on plainer backgrounds, which is attributed to his being inspired by close friend Warhol as well as a reflection of the stark reality of his addictions).
        In any case, Basquiat's paintings speak much more clearly about not only themselves but Basquiat himself than I can, so I strongly urge you to take a look at them if you are not already familiar with his work. And if you're interested in the world he was inspired by (in 1980-81) and a glimpse of his personality, check out Downtown 81 (which if you have netflix is currently available on instant view).



images: amazon.com & brooklynmuseum.org

Lis Timpone

excuse the long lull in posts. i was feeling uninspired and took a much needed break. i am back.


        i've been stalking the FP blog lately (for reasons i will not get into, but that i promise exist) and was TOTALLY grabbed by today's post on Lis Timpone. FP usually posts on pretty and cutesy things, which i enjoy looking at, but rarely go anywhere from the blog itself. Timpone's work however jumped out and immediately appealed to me. i was almost taken aghast when i saw that one of the first images on Timpone's blog (they didn't include a link to her website, only her blog) was a red riding hood illustration! i couldn't have found a better artist right now had i been staking her out intentionally...
        her clearly native inspired images have the most astonishing line control, something that i envy greatly, as well as beautiful movement. i am also greatly attracted to their narrative quality. i'd love to see one of her pieces translated onto a body (preferably mine?), which is something that infrequently pops into my mind. they're just so simple and complex at the same time. definitely worth spending some time oogling, i had an impossible time picking which to use.

Timpone's blog
Timpone's website



images: http://listimpone.blogspot.com/

Frida Kahlo

"I paint my own reality."

        i couldn't even begin to speak coherently about so amazing a woman, but today is her birthday, so it seemed only appropriate to post some favorites in her honor.




images: artchive.com

Eugene Richards

        i was actually pretty surprised to learn after viewing them that these pictures were taken by photo great Eugene Richards (i'll have to give him a proper write-up some time) but it certainly explains why they're so beautifully composed. (though, i have to admit, a lot of the credit goes to the subject matter itself).
        if you are at all familiar with me you will know that i have a deep interest in abandoned buildings and ghost towns. i was doing some research on North Dakota (which apparently has multiple ghost towns) and came across this National Geographic article and accompanying images. you really just have to look at the photographs. they're quiet and beautiful, in a very lonely and somber way.
        anyway, i believe the images speak for themselves, so i simply wanted to point them out. you can read the article and see the rest of the pictures here.




...what i wouldn't give to have national geographic pay to send me to photograph such places...
images: nationalgeographic.com

Reversing Vandalism

        i learned about this project in one of my classes during the fall semester of last year, and not only do i think the outcomes are really beautiful, but i think that what the project stood for is really important and inspiring.

        in 2001, the staff at the San Francisco Public Library started finding books shoved under shelves. all of the books related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, women's issues, HIV/AIDS, and in some cases even authors whose last name was "Gay". all of the hidden books were torn and sliced, amounting to over 600 books damaged beyond repair. (the vandal was eventually caught, arrested, charged and found guilty of a hate crime)
        rather than throw the destroyed books away, in response to this hateful act, the library called upon artists and interested individuals (spanning from the direct area to as far away as Japan and France) to give the books a new life as works of art, and markers of the way this sort of fear, hate, and intolerance will not be ignored. the project was named Reversing Vandalism, and the books went on display for three months in 2004 (all remain visible online). it was the largest exhibition ever taken on by the library.

        the pieces range from simple book alterations and repairs to entirely transformed pieces (bowls, a working clock, a bottle of page-stuffed pills), but they are all entirely unique.
        in a time where people continue to be treated unequally, i believe that using art as a medium to fight is extremely important, as well as effective. so please take the time to look at these pieces and the battle they represent.

it was nearly impossible to decide which ones to show here, because they are all so different and meaningful, but i did my best to pick a few. you can see the full gallery as well as a description of the show on the San Francisco Public Library's website page for the exhibition.



images: http://sfpl.lib.ca.us

Jamie Caliri

        i was reliving the 90's via youtube the other day, when i found myself watching Marcy Playground's Sex and Candy music video for the first time. i was sucked in by the moody color palette, giant Louise Bourgeois-esq spider, and general weirdness of it. i of course immediately went to find out who had directed it, and found Jamie Caliri.
        while Caliri has directed live-action music videos for a couple other music groups, what i find most exciting is his stop-motion animations using paper cutouts. i usually find myself annoyed with this sort of stop-motion (probably because when i see it all i can think of is scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail) even when its used by some of my favorite directors. something about Caliri's i love though! if you've seen The United States of Tara, you've surely noticed how cool the opening credits are, which were done by Caliri. he also did the end credits for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate events, and oh my GOD. they should have entrusted him with the whole film. i am an enormous fan of the book series, and was so horrified with the film adaptation that i left before the credits even started, and i love them! they are in so much better keeping with the feel of the books. what a loss. anyway, you should absolutely watch that, and also his short film "The Sun and the Seed", which is really beautiful and strange.

you can find a list of all the videos he's directed on Caliri's website
and here are a few of his animated videos on youtube:
The Sun and the Seed
A Series of Unfortunate Events end credits
United States of Tara main titles



images: screen grabs from A Series of Unfortunate Events end credits