Untitled

Welcome to my Untitled tumblr. experiment. After inaugurating it with coverage of the Pacific Standard Time Performance Festival, and more PST exhibitions, I've now entered upon a more random phase. Enjoy!
That super moon was truly super.

That super moon was truly super.

Splish-Splash, What’s a Gourmet Bath? By Shana Nys Dambrot Among the many influential contributions of the world-famous community of artists and writers from the genius, sunny fringe of American arts and letters that was Venice Beach in the late ’70s and early ’80s, we will no longer forget to count WET: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing. A sort of pet project among artists, writers, and innovative graphic designers, the periodical fundamentally celebrated the culture of spas, hot springs, mud baths and the like — with regular excursions into the adjacent realms of written and visual culture. Part conceptual exercise, part art project, and part inside joke, its love of natural luxury was completely serious, as was its impact on new wave design and subsequent purveyors of Postmodern publishing from Ray Gun to Interview. Now a new book celebrates the archive and inspiration for the undertaking, chronicling its inception and execution in a compendium of images and words of highlights and previously unpublished materials that looks not only at its accomplishments but at its legacy. Hot mud not included. La Luz de Jesus, 4633 Hollywood Blvd.; Wed, March 28, 6-9 p.m.; free. (323) 663-0122. laluzdejesus.com.

Splish-Splash, What’s a Gourmet Bath?

By Shana Nys Dambrot

Among the many influential contributions of the world-famous community of artists and writers from the genius, sunny fringe of American arts and letters that was Venice Beach in the late ’70s and early ’80s, we will no longer forget to count WET: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing. A sort of pet project among artists, writers, and innovative graphic designers, the periodical fundamentally celebrated the culture of spas, hot springs, mud baths and the like — with regular excursions into the adjacent realms of written and visual culture. Part conceptual exercise, part art project, and part inside joke, its love of natural luxury was completely serious, as was its impact on new wave design and subsequent purveyors of Postmodern publishing from Ray Gun to Interview. Now a new book celebrates the archive and inspiration for the undertaking, chronicling its inception and execution in a compendium of images and words of highlights and previously unpublished materials that looks not only at its accomplishments but at its legacy. Hot mud not included. La Luz de Jesus, 4633 Hollywood Blvd.; Wed, March 28, 6-9 p.m.; free. (323) 663-0122. laluzdejesus.com.

I went and saw this amazing installation by artist Debi Cable for Altervision. It’s in Blacklight and 3-D with glasses and everything, a full six-sided immersive environment. But truly, I think it’s just as beautiful without the glasses. Like a fairy tale, and one of the best reasons to stick around for Downtown Art Walk this week — March 8th. I hear it’ll also be making an appearance at the next Brewery Art Walk…

We had some fun at Punk Night at MOCA last month, wrapping up the PST Performance Festival with a bang. Here are a few pictures that help tell the tale. I spent most of the night Tweeting to people to come crash the party in the parking lot, where they could hear it for free. Cuz honey, it was LOUD.

pacificstandardtimefestival.org/events/under-the-big-black-sun-punk-night/

[Flash 10 is required to watch video]

Here’s the video I took of Eric’s son John recreating the performance. It was a huge success, you could really tell that the boy was a dancer, his movements were so deliberate and yet fluid. He really brought the spirit and form of the work to life.

The setting sun was very cooperative as well, heightening the illusion. Once again, Orr’s work proves genius at its mission — getting people to pay attention not only to what they are seeing, but to HOW.

Coinciding with the opening of Perpetual Conceptual: Echoes of Eugenia Butler and organized as part of the Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival, LAND and Corazon del Sol present a recreation of Eric Orr’s Wall Shadow, 1970.

Wall Shadow, by Eric Orr

Performance on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, noon–6:00 p.m.
Coinciding with the opening of Perpetual Conceptual: Echoes of Eugenia Butler and organized as part of the Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival, LAND and Corazon del Sol present a recreation of Eric Orr’s Wall Shadow, 1970.

Originally staged in front of Eugenia Butler Gallery, the performance consisted of four parts: first, Orr constructed a wall of cinder blocks; second, he outlined the wall’s shadow with white tape; third, he painted the shadow in grey paint; and finally, he removed the wall, leaving the shadow as the vestige of light it once blocked. Following this recreation, LAND will screen Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Work of Eric Orr.

[Flash 10 is required to watch video]

I was so inspired by all the PST that I used my new tricky phone to make my own video art. I call it, Front Yard Steinkamp. Enjoy!