photo & text by nacrowe
with the advent of the INTERNET, AUTOMATION, SOCIAL MEDIA and the future of promise of ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE right around the corner, i can honestly attest that in my short lifetime there has been much SOCIAL DISRUPTION and POLITICAL UPHEAVAL that has come at the expense of an UNPRECEDENTED rate of TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. in essence the world i grew up in no longer exists.
in essence the late 19th century in the UNITED STATES represents a similar pivot away from old methods of traveling and communicating with the completion of the TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD and the advent of massive STEAMSHIPS, TELEPHONES, INCANDESCENT LIGH BULB and the PHOTOGRAPH. growing up in ENGLAND in a world with horse-drawn carriages and gas street lamps to that of ELECTRIC GRID-ENABLED CABLE CARS and STREET LIGHTS is quite REMARKABLE and represents a psychic jolt as well as TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE. it means that the manner in which people lived and thought of themselves shifted arguably for the first time in generations. what makes the EXPOSING MUYBRIDGE (INSIDE OUT MEDIA, 2021) documentary about the FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHER is how his life and career provides a familiar example of the apparent disconnect between the OPTIMISTIC PROMISE of TECHNOLOGY and its DESTRUCTIVE CAPACITY to alienate us from ourselves. EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE only became a PHOTOGRAPHER after years spent occupying various modest occupations in the new AMERICAN WEST after departing ENGLAND at first opportunity. his early adoption of the cumbersome TECHNOLOGY found him shooting lots of shots of nature throughout the MOUNTAIN WEST and PACIFIC NORTHWEST as well as the recently purchased ALASKAN TERRITORY and many of his locations were later REPHOTOGRAPHED by the likes of EDWARD WESTON and ANSEL ADAMS more than a half century later. one of his quirks was having figures in the foreground, sometimes to showcase scale, and often such showcased himself in precarious positions on cliffs with sheer drops and the like. but often these PHOTOGRAPHS were MANIPULATED with preferred (and reused) cloud formations and drawn distant mountain ranges. seeing was not believing, even at this early FORMATIVE state in the evolution of PHOTOGRAPHY. MUYBRIDGE himself had an IDIOSYNCRATIC and highly ERRATIC personality. in his forties he married a young woman in her twenties whom he subsequently ABANDONED at home while he went on PHOTOGRAPHY trips at the behest of clients (including war propaganda photos for the government and family portraits for captains of industry like railroad magnate LELAND STANFORD). after learning of an insinuation that he was CUCKOLDED in his absence, MUYBRIDGE sought out his wife's reported amour and shot him dead point blank. controversially he was found not guilty. post-trial he went to CENTRAL AMERICA and took ETHNOGRAPHIC and NATURE PHOTOGRAPHS around the region. on his arrival back in CALIFORNIA he worked with STANFORD on a problem of providing UNDENIABLE PHOTOGRAPHIC proof that a horse had all of its hooves in the air at the same time. this proved DIFFICULT given the REDIMENTARY CAMERA TECHNOLOGY the time and the non-existence of things like shutters that allow for very short exposure periods and chemical concoctions that allowed for such. MUYBRIDGE was able to make it work and prove that such existed with an array of PHOTOGRAPHS taken in succession by separate CAMERAS with quick shutters that showed the change in position of the horse over time. this was REVOLUTIONARY and the basis for MUYBRIDGE's subsequent fame. but STANFORD took credit and largely DISCREDITED him as a mere TECHNICIAN in a subsequent publication, effectively ruining MUYBRIDGE's reputation, who had became something an early celebrity at the time. his work was picked up a few years later by the UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, in spite of his reputation as a MURDERER and an ERRATIC, who allowed him to conduct his "motion studies" at the behest of a committee of ZOOLOGISTS, PHYSICISTS, ANATOMISTS, and ARTISTS that hoped to gain insight into the invisible world of kinetic mechanics. the film goes to great lengths to showcase how these "SCIENTIFIC" studies were marred by INGRAINED CULTURAL BIASES of the period along the lines of RACE, CLASS and GENDER. such was the case that the majority of these scholars were seeking to secure data to prove their racist preconceived notion that WHITE MEN were SUPERIOR to their FEMALE and NON-WHITE counterparts. men are PHOTOGRAPHED performing feats of STRENGTH and ATHLETIC prowess while WOMEN are shown being GRACEFUL or reenacting DOMESTIC pursuits (like sweeping the floor). there are also series utilizing local prostitutes in baldly erotic movements and scenarios. even in this PRE-CINEMA ERA, interestingly the basic BIASES of FILM CULTURE ("stories and sex") were firmly established and entrenched. the MALE GAZE indeed. MUYBRIDGE died in obscurity, a cultural anachronism during the age of early CINEMA dominated by subsequent ARTISTIC and TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION by likes of the LUMIERE BROTHERS and GEORGES MELIES. his MOTION STUDIES, in spite of their embedded PREJUDICES, have proven to be quite INFLUENTIAL to subsequent generations of SCIENTISTS and ARTISTS. everyone from FRANCIS BACON, WILLIAM WEGMAN, DAVID HOCKNEY, SOL LEWITT and even RICKY & MORTY and U2 have explicitly referenced his material. i found this film to be endlessly FASCINATING given its examination of the DISRUPTIVE POTENTIAL of new TECHNOLOGY and how such leaves the public open to being manipulated en masse. MUYBRIDGE was thoroughly HUMAN with HUBRIS, EGO and IMPERFECTIONS to spare and his adoption and manipulations from a new INVENTION only further the evidence of such. despite such it is hard to argue against the idea the he ELEVATED MANKIND, FLAWS and all, and maybe that is the takeaway from his example. while making us SUSCEPTIBLE to new forms of VISUAL MANIPULATION, his gift to us was making us a little more aware of the HIDDEN realm of MINUTE, RUDIMENTARY PHYSICAL MECHANICS that we all take for granted in a THREE-DIMENSIONAL SPACE and govern and influence our experience of such. in this manner he was an REVOLUTIONARY figure. EXPOSING MUYBRIDGE is a deeply INTRIGUING film that is most definitely worth checking out. ESSENTIAL even.
0 Comments
photo & text by nacrowe
the EMOTIONAL INTIMACY that paradoxically comes with SCALE is something of a central feature in the CREATIVE WORK of globally revered SCULPTOR URSULA VON RYDINGSVARD. as the daughter of UKRAINIAN and POLISH immigrant parents to the UNITED STATES who was born in GERMANY and spent her early youth in a GERMAN detention center during WORLD WAR II, her work is undoubtedly influenced by her EXPERIENCES between cultures and continents. the recent URSULA VON RYDINGSVARD: INTO HER OWN (ICARUS, 2019) documentary explores her career and personal history and exposes an artist with a deep sense of COMPASSION and value in COMMUNITY, both familial and adopted.
the film goes to great lengths to relay the idea that VON RYDINGSVARD did not have an ideal childhood, even after her families relocation to suburban CONNECTICUT. her father had an INDOMITABLE WORK ETHIC but a very real sense of INFERIORITY to his new compatriots that he tragically sublimated on his children quite mercilessly with long-lasting consequences. the FRUSTRATION and RAGE at the physical and psychological ABUSE inflicted by her father was something of a motivating catalyst for VON RYDINGSVARD and her CREATIVE WORK throughout her development well into career. her work, which historically is based in CEDAR but has in recent years has expanded to include COPPER and BRONZE commissions, is often of a MASSIVE SCALE with minute LABOR-INTENSIVE, HAND-CRAFTED TEXTURES and SURFACE MANIPULATIONS. the result is an IMPOSING monument with distinctly ORGANIC UNDULATIONS that doesn't mimic, yet takes key inspiration from nature. one can project the seeming PERMANENCE of trees or the EPHEMERALITY of clouds onto her WORK, which feel both ABSTRACT and distinctly AUTHENTIC and rooted in the ENVIRONMENT of their installation, wether such be in a BUCOLIC pasture or a CONGESTED urban setting. the film makes the point of connecting the BILLOWING FORMS of her scale work with that of WHEAT STACKS in POLAND, a land she was connected to through BLOOD and GENEALOGY but had never visited when being made aware of the connection by her second husband, the LATE NOBEL PRIZE-winning NEUROSCIENTIST PAUL GREENGARD. their seems to be an affinity for FORMS and MATERIALS that brought her COMFORT as a child, as she remembers being in a small makeshift wooden room with her CLOSE-KNIT family in GERMANY during the WAR, the structure providing SECURITY and SOLACE from the HORRORS outside. in this sense her use of WOOD as a MATERIAL seems anchored in a subconscious desire for a state of BALANCE that was never achieved on either shore. as a young woman having moved out to the BAY AREA, VON RYDINGSVARD had a child from a DISASTROUS first marriage with a partner that had a PSYCHOTIC BREAK and was later institutionalized with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. she made the decision to return to the EAST COAST in the mid 1970s and started pursuing her CREATIVE WORK in a SOHO loft (then absolutely not a chic address) with a young daughter in tow. she also took classes at COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, where she earned her MFA. it feels like her success was HARD-EARNED with much STRUGGLE both financially and psychologically given her INTENSE family history. for VON RYDINGSVARD, NEW YORK CITY during this period was something of a revelation with many female artists making a name for themselves. she took inspiration from an EXPANDED sisterhood of in fellow SCULPTORS (EVA HESSE, LOUISE BOURGEOIS, LYNDA BENGLIS), COMPOSERS (MEREDITH MONK), PAINTERS (HELEN FRANKENTHALER, LEE KRASNER, JOAN MITCHELL), PHOTOGRAPHERS (CINDY SHERMAN) and CONCEPTUAL / MULTI-MEDIA / PERFORMANCE ARTISTS (JOAN JONAS, NANCY SPERO, YOKO ONO, ANNA MENDIETA, CAROLEE SCHNEEMANN, HANNAH WILKE, TRISHA BROWN, YVONNE RANIER). in NEW YORK CITY she found a home that allowed her the FREEDOM to reach her full potential through her CREATIVE INSTINCTS and the INDOMITABLE WORK ETHIC she inherited. the film makes the point of commenting that her WORK in some aspect is also about the idea of LABOR, of the TACTILE nature of INTENSE BODILY MANIPULATION of MATERIALS. its almost akin to the labor exhibited in the NATURAL WORLD with the ELEMENTS quietly eroding rock into EVERMORE COMPLEX MANIPULATIONS, whether such be through the vehicle of OCEANIC WIND GUSTS, ICE SHEETS, ROLLING RIVERS or SAND-BLASTED FURRIES of RISING AIR. that ever-constant process of becoming seems to be the point to some extent. you can see her joy at the final CONSTRUCTION of her installations as the realized form of the work of her and her close team of associates becomes apparent. all that minute WORK and hours of DECISIONS and DELIBERATIONS manifest in a PERMANENT FORM. those choices feel like a process based in a deep appreciation of NATURE and the complex systems that exact physical changes on ROCK FORMATIONS, GLACIERS and RIVERBANKS. its a deeply INTRIGUING dynamic to watch in isolation and URSULA VON RYDINGSVARD: INTO HER OWN provides a COMPELLING glimpse of such. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
with DECONSTRUCTIVIST fashion designers like REI KAWAKUBO (COMMES DE GARCON), YOHJI YAMAMOTA (Y-3) and the late VIRGIL ABLOH (OFF-WHITE) being the current exalted avatars of a distinctly MINIMALIST AESTHETIC, the timing seems correct to reappraise the lasting and continuing cultural relevance of BELGIAN designer MARTIN MARGIELA of MAISON MARGIELA and his INNOVATIVE approach to FASHION DESIGN and PRESENTATION. NOTORIOUS for not granting interviews or appearing on camera, in the recent retrospective documentary MARTIN MARGIELA: IN HIS OWN WORDS (AMINATA PRODUCTIONS, 2020), MARGIELA functions as an of-sorts narrator to his own story while maintaining his complete anonymity.
the conceit of the film is in essence in an INDUSTRY where FAME and CELEBRITY are fleeting come and go with new collections each subsequent season, MARGIELA was able to construct a NOVEL VOCABULARY and DESIGN AESTHETIC that has lasted far beyond his twenty year reign at his former namesake fashion house, which ended in 2009. he was in COMPLETE CONTROL throughout and resigned only when the business side, due to expansion and the success of the brand, began to inevitably dictate and encroach on his ARTISTIC VISION. in this manner his departure maintained the PURITY of his collections, which were his legacy. and that focus on the product was INTENTIONAL. famously, MARGIELA left the press alone to make sense of his COLLECTIONS, providing no input, direction or CONTEXT as is the INDUSTRY PRACTICE. in this manner he cultivated an EXPECTATION of INNOVATION and spurred fierce discussion, expression and enabled free thought with regards to his critics. he let them decide on their own how to approach and evaluate his work, with no pushback or encouragement on his end. this is basically unheard of in the FASHION WORLD where HYPE is inextricably part of the game. for MARGIELA, THE WORK AND ONLY THE WORK was what mattered. period. and what about the actual clothes? MARGIELA is so REVERED because he essentially INVERTED all sorts of explicit and implicit EXPECTATIONS in the INDUSTRY. for instance he was CELEBRATED for REPURPOSING, RECYCLING, RE-CONTEXTUALIZING, discarded NON-PREMIUM MATERIALS with an almost MARCEL DUCHAMP-ian ability to RECONSTRUCT and REDETERMINE their VALUE and UTILITY through the power of CONCEPT. a MARGIELA item had value because of the IMAGINATIVE idea behind it, not the SCARCITY of the MATERIAL itself. similarly, his GARMENTS provided an almost META-NARRATIVE regarding their creation, DECONSTRUCTING for the wearer the process by which they were conceived and constructed. even the labeling was UNIQUE and somewhat of an ANTI-LABEL statement, with four RUDIMENTARY corner stitches along a rectangle of light FABRIC, sometimes unmarked itself. the result was four corner stitches exposed on the outside of the GARMENT, making it appear INCOMPLETE and still in the process of being manufactured. MARGIELA even confronted the PRESENTATION of his work, often casting NORMAL women as models (known as street casting) and utilizing UNCONVENTIONAL off-site venues (such as parking garages, beneath bridges, vacant outdoor lots) to unveil his work in UNEXPECTED CONTEXTS. in summation, his work was highly CONCEPTUAL and played around and CHALLENGED LONG-HELD IDEAS concerning the INCEPTION, CONSTRUCTION and PRESENTATION PROCESSES involved with the design of clothes. virtually anyone today that is SUBVERTED EXPECTATIONS through DECONSTRUCTING such in a NOVEL way is taking a cue from the playbook invented by MARGIELA, which is why he is still more than a decade later into his retirement such a REVERED figure. my interest is not so much with FASHION itself, but with visionaries that CHALLENGED, TRANSGRESSED and ultimately SUBVERTED the STATUS QUO to their will and invented a NEW LANGUAGE unto themselves in the process. people like FRANCIS BACON, HUBERT SELBY JR, PATTI SMITH, BILL HICKS, LOU REED, JENNIFER DOUDNA & EMMANUELLE CHARPENTIER, FRANK ZAPPA or MARLON BRANDO. MARTIN MARGIELA: IN HIS OWN WORDS is beyond compelling and most definitely worth checking out regardless of your interest in haute couture. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
who knew QUEENSLAND was such a SHITHOLE back in the 1970s?
the fact that a band as LEGENDARY and SEMINAL as first-wave AUSTRALIAN PUNK ROCK band THE SAINTS came out BRISBANE, which at the time was in the throes of an ARCH CONSERVATIVE and unrepentantly CORRUPT government led by premier JOH BJELKE-PETERSEN, is something of a MINOR MIRACLE. this politician, who ruled from 1968-1987, rose through the ranks of the police force and welded it VIOLENTLY like a CUDGEL against all elements of SOCIAL DISSENSION or ACTIVISM. in essence JOH ran an AUTONOMOUS POLICE STATE that made the business of live music an UNDERGROUND affair, which in turn ironically resulted in establishing in time BRISBANE as a musical and culturally INNOVATIVE city. the documentary STRANDED (WILDBEAR ENTERTAINMENT, 2015) is very much as preoccupied with the evolution of the music scene in BRISBANE as it is with the narrative of THE SAINTS and their first three ESSENTIAL releases, (I'M) STRANDED (SIRE, 1977), ETERNALLY YOURS (SIRE, 1978) and PREHISTORIC SOUNDS (HARVEST, 1978), before the breakup of their ICONIC initial lineup. along with local contemporaneous PUNK ROCK scene-mates such as the LIKE-MINDED PENETRATION, NOTABLE bands that emerged shortly over the next few years such as THE LEFTOVERS, THE GO-BETWEENS, RAZAR, XERO and THE RIPTIDES diverged dramatically in STYLE and SOUND, but were bound both by their passion for music and their steadfast commitment to the scene and the COMMUNITY that literally bled, suffered and vigorously fought it into existence. there is a bit of synchronicity with the emergence of PUNK ROCK across the english-speaking world in the late 1970s, with THE RAMONES in NEW YORK CITY, THE SEX PISTOLS in LONDON and THE SAINTS in BRISBANE all emerging more or less at the same time (i am aware THE SEX PISTOLS was unambiguously after THE RAMONES). all three bands were influenced by the sheer SONIC POWER and POLITICAL FORCE and will behind those early records by SUBTERRANEAN bands like THE STOOGES, MC5 and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. what is INTRIGUING about THE SAINTS is that they are the only PUNK ROCK band of that period that had to will themselves into existence despite a VOLATILE governmental security apparatus hell-bent on maintaining a STRANGLEHOLD on the population. sorry, RONALD REAGAN and MARGARET THATCHER had absolutely nothing on SIR JOH and his BRUTAL cronies with a badge. testimonials to that end come by way of JEAN JACQUES BURNEL and JET BLACK of THE STRANGLERS as well as JELLO BIAFRA of DEAD KENNEDYS who all had adverse experiences touring during the early in the late 1970s and early 1980s respectfully. in both cases the police acted overly aggressively without restraint or respect for basic human rights, arresting band members on trumped up charges designed to intimidate. THE STRANGLERS for their part wrote "NUCLEAR DEVICE (THE WIZARD OF AUS)" off of THE RAVEN (UNITED ARTISTS, 1979) as cheeky send-off to the JOH regime. the example of THE SAINTS proved to be internationally INFLUENTIAL as bands, in addition those from BRITAIN and the UNITED STATES, emerged at the time from war-torn places like IRELAND (THE BOOMTOWN RATS) and NORTHERN IRELAND (STIFF LITTLE FINGERS) that saw PUNK ROCK as a vehicle to speaking their truth about the UNFORTUNATE predicament of their COMMUNITIES. if an OBSCURE band from AUSTRALIA could do such, literally why not them? its a FASCINATING and POWERFUL PHENOMENA when you consider that this SELF-IDENTIFICATION and SELF-ORGANIZATION of a cross-border INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY of music fans, artists and advocates self-generated in a pre-internet age. again, a SMALL MIRACLE of sorts. notable participating interviewees for STRANDED include PAULINE MURRAY (PENETRATION), NICK CAVE (THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, THE BAD SEEDS), JELLO BIAFRA (DEAD KENNEDYS), STEVE DIGGLE (BUZZCOCKS), BOB GELDORF (THE BOOMTOWN RATS) and JEAN JACQUES BURNEL & JET BLACK (THE STRANGLERS). AUSTRALIAN PUNK ROCK is generally not included in the mainstream conversation or history of PUNK ROCK, so i consider this film ESSENTIAL viewing and most definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i only recently came to be aware of the early 20th century SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST BILL TRAYLOR of ALABAMA. born into SLAVERY, his family stayed and worked for their former owners as sharecroppers for 30 years after EMANCIPATION. little is known about his life other than he raised several children and had a few marriages throughout a long life sharecropping in the YELLOWHAMMER STATE. it was only in his 80s that he moved to MONTGOMERY and took up DRAWING, resourcefully repurposing whatever LEFTOVER MATERIALS he could find. in time he was a cultural fixture of the main thoroughfare of MONROE STREET with his deceptively SIMPLISTIC yet deeply EVOCATIVE FIGURE DRAWINGS of life both REAL and IMAGINED, past and present, ETHEREAL and disturbingly PALPABLE.
for decades after his passing in 1939 in OBSCURITY, TRAYLOR's work was likewise FORGOTTEN about and UNCELEBRATED. his work now is seen as a uniquely UNFILTERED link to a world long passed in which AMERICAN HISTORY saw one of its most CONSEQUENTIAL fulcrum points, i.e. the RECONSTRUCTION era and the uneven cultural and economic transition from SLAVERY in the AMERICAN SOUTH. a transition still in motion, with WIDE-RANGING consequences to present day. despite the dearth of PERTINENT information outside of state census records, the recent documentary BILL TRAYLOR: CHASING GHOSTS (BREAKAWAY FILMS NY, 2021) attempts to give voice to TRAYLOR by CONTEXTUALIZING him and his experiences within the greater tradition of AFRICAN-AMERICAN playwrights and poets of the era. its an INTRIGUING JUXTAPOSITION to see these scenes from NOTEWORTHY DRAMAS played out by actors with TRAYLOR's drawings interspersed in the mix. it provides a possible CONTEXT to material that otherwise is ironically almost OBTUSE in its DIRECTNESS, like witnessing an ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RELIEF PAINTING in a tomb out of CONTEXT. it is quite something that these INDELIBLE IMAGES TRAYLOR created were done utilizing the most MODEST of materials, mostly pencils with BASIC colors on the backs of used cardboard print advertisements or discarded scrap paper. the vast majority of his work was done on MAKESHIFT canvases of IRREGULAR shapes, which he resourcefully and ingeniously incorporated into the COMPOSITION. part of the reason that his WORK hits the way it does is the fact that it is UNSCHOOLED and retains a certain PURITY of PERSPECTIVE for a REALITY and WAY OF LIFE that even at the time of its creation post-1939 was of a bygone era. it mixes COLLECTIVE and LIVING MEMORY with the HOPES and DREAMS of a time to come that as an old man TRAYLOR must have been acutely aware of MORTALITY and inability to experience said progress. there is also a bit of mystery regarding the SUBLIME and more than a little HOODOO ICONOGRAPHY thrown in the mix, which again informs his individual and the wider cultural PERSPECTIVE of his COMMUNITY. that something so PROFOUND is wrapped up in something seemingly so RUDIMENTARY is quite an achievement in its own right and he deserves his just praises, even if such are posthumous and decades after the fact. it is a testament to the QUALITY and INTENT of his WORK that TRAYLOR's ART resonates right now in our era with our amassed COLLECTIVE MEMORY and HISTORICAL and CULTURAL BAGGAGE. its one of the mysteries of ART that such teaches us anew as CONTEMPORARY conditions evolve and reveal themselves, presenting new CONTEXTS and opportunities for GROWTH. here is hoping that TRAYLOR is a permanent part of that continuing NARRATIVE and discussion regarding the AMERICAN EXPERIMENT, with all of its acknowledged PAINFUL SHORTCOMINGS and CELEBRATED virtues alike. BILL TRAYLOR: CHASING GHOSTS is a COMPELLING documentary about a REVELATORY ARTIST that deserves further attention. i found it ESSENTIAL and is most definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
with the resurgence in interest over the past two decades in VINYL as a MUSIC FORMAT, it was only time before CASSETTES had an equally unlikely renaissance in the modern digital era. at its heart, the CASSETTE: A DOCUMENTARY MIXTAPE (FIREGLORY PICTURES, 2016) film seeks to uncover and elucidate on the enduring ROMANTIC appeal of CASSETTE TAPE.
this begins with the history of the FORMAT itself, as the documentary interviews LOU OTTENS (RIP) of PHILIPS, a project manager who is credited with being the inventor of the CASSETTE TAPE (as well as a key developer of its replacement, the COMPACT DISC). the CASSETTE was meant to be a FOOLPROOF alternative to the REEL-TO-REEL TAPE, which had major consumer experience issues as they were prone to untangle and rip easily. what made it a TRANSCENDENT and REVOLUTIONARY PRODUCT was that the end user had the ability to record content accordingly; whether that be through an attached microphone or as part of an extended hi-fi system or boombox. the intentionality of the personal production of a MIXTAPE is what separates the FORMAT from all others: VINYL, 8-TRACK, COMPACT DISC, MP3, STREAMING, etc. whether it be a carefully curated MIXTAPE for a prospective love interest or a copy of a radio or live DJ set, it is that personal attachment to the content of the CASSETTE that makes it such an emotionally POWERFUL FORMAT. this point was by various NOTABLE participating interviewees including HENRY ROLLINS (BLACK FLAG / S.O.A. / ROLLINS BAND), IAN MACKAYE (MINOR THREAT / FUGAZI / DISCHORD RECORDS), DJ RED ALERT, DANIEL JOHNSTON, MIKE WATT (MINUTEMEN), THURSTON MOORE (SONIC YOUTH), DAMIEN JURADO, ALLYSON BAKER (DIRTY GHOSTS), SARAH BETHE NELSON and ROB SHEFFIELD (ROLLING STONE) among others. in particular, ROLLINS showcases the TAPE collection he inherited from his dear friend / roommate / former BLACK FLAG roadie JOE COLE after he was murdered in their shared VENICE BEACH home. the collection had UNIMAGINABLE value as each TAPE is a veritable artifact that his deceased friend labored over and thought about intently while making. it even has his own handwriting. the value is not rooted in its technical ability to replicate HI-FIDELITY SOUND, but in its SENTIMENTAL and EMOTIONAL attachment to time, a community, a lost friend. the big question of this film is how much NOSTALGIA plays into the resurgence in interest in CASSETTE TAPES. as the owner of COUNTLESS CASSETTE TAPES (with particular interest in 80s HARDCORE and 90s ALTERNATIVE HIP HOP) i dont know if id call it nostalgia. i have SPOTIFY and the beyond CONVENIENT ability to access virtually anything from my cell phone 24/7 so long as my coverage or wifi connection doesnt crap out. but as a fan of music there is a need, likely a psychological one, to have something material. CASSETTE TAPES despite their lesser SOUND QUALITY, are immensely COLLECTABLE and just fun to have and display. i spent much of my youth making MIXTAPES from the COMPACT DISCS of friends while living abroad in NIGERIA. i can remember the excitement of making CASSETTES from their copies FAITH NO MORE's ANGEL DUST (REPRISE, 1992), CYPRESS HILL's BLACK SUNDAY (COLUMBIA, 1993), ALICE IN CHAINS' FACELIFT (), 311's GRASSROOTS (CAPRICORN, 1994), WHITE ZOMBIE's ASTRO-CREEP: 2000 (GEFFEN, 1995) and disc one of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS' MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS (VIRGIN, 1995) on my bedroom AIWA sound system and having access to such on the bus ride to school the next day. literally when someone came back from an overseas trip, everyone made dubbed copies of their EXPANDED COMPACT DISC collection in rapid succession. that is a COMMUNAL experience of sorts that cant be duplicated on any other FORMAT. if anything we are more SEQUESTERED by the ISOLATING process of acquiring music now then before. and i do miss that. so i dont think its nostalgia. and its interesting that OTTENS himself was not nostalgia about the FORMAT either, feeling that the adoption of technologically superior alternatives is to our collective benefit. but he does concede that the enduring appeal of the FORMAT is an emotional attachment rooted in our connection to each other as exemplified in the personally curated MIXTAPE. i have a hard time arguing with on that. CASSETTE: A DOCUMENTARY MIXTAPE is a PROVOCATIVE and thoughtfully constructed film, yes like a MIXTAPE, that is very much well worth checking out. it really examines powerfully how CASSETTE TAPE as a FORMAT harness the deep INTIMACY of sound and somehow personalize it in a fashion hitherto unmatched then and now by its more technically superior alternatives. it also may be one of the few untapped vehicles of analog communication not prone to government surveillance or powerful data-scraping algorithms available. go home and think about that for a second. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
years ago when i was working and living in JAPAN as an english teacher at an international school, i took a trip south in the spring to visit OSAKA, NARA, KYOTO, HIMEJI and HIROSHIMA. all of those cities are historically SIGNIFICANT in the NARRATIVE of the country, especially KYOTO which is arguably the center of TRADITIONAL JAPANESE CULTURE. over a few days i toured the TEMPLES and ZEN GARDENS and my guide told me that there was one other place we'd stop by on the way to the LANDMARK FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE and its FAMOUS orange gates. apparently the AMERICANS really loved this mystery stop.
we pulled up to a NONDESCRIPT grey office building, but it was the UNDERSTATED sign postmarked on the top-right corner that sold it all: NINTENDO. you couldnt get in, but there it was, the headquarters of the LEGENDARY video game company. it is probably the only time in my life i felt like the proverbial charlie outside of the chocolate, wondering what FABULOUS creations lay inside. all those countless hours of CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES playing ZELDA, MARIO, METROID, MEGA MAN and DONKEY KONG originated in that BLAND grey building. it was pretty mesmerizing. anyway, the recent documentary THE STORY OF NINTENDO (EM PRODUCTIONS, 2023) seeks to explain from a decidedly BRITISH perspective the CORPORATE NARRATIVE of the FAMOUS company from its origins as a card-making company once favored by the YAKUZA at the turn of the century to the modern INNOVATIVE video game behemoth it has become since the 1980s. its an INTRIGUING story because once the company abandoned SIDE BUSINESSES (taxi services and love motels) from its card manufacturing and got into the expanding field of TECHNOLOGY and ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, its CORPORATE ETHOS is what separated it ultimately from the competition. at its core, NINTENDO always sought to make inclusive games that could be appreciated by HARDCORE players and laymen alike. as once new rivals have emerged and fallen by the way side (ATARI and SEGA), the company has likewise sought to innovate the GAME DESIGN, USER EXPERIENCE and family friendly values in light of COMPETITION that seeks to create HIGH PERFORMANCE PLATFORMS that trade in grizzly and VIOLENT fair for a decidedly adult audience. NINTENDO is often quaint in comparison utilizing older TECHNOLOGY to new CREATIVE ends that seeks to expand CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS towards gaming in general. its almost an oxymoron how NINTENDO looks backwards to look forward. THE STORY OF NINTENDO itself is a bit NOSTALGIC and SENTIMENTAL and seemingly comes from more than a little ROSE-TINT COLORED perspective, but its insights into NINTENDO's CORPORATE IDENTITY and BUSINESS ETHOS was pretty ILLUMINATING. for them it was about establishing QUALITY product that could be enjoyed by the greatest number of people, not churning out inferior product in the hopes of generating PROFIT. its REFRESHING since MODERN BIG BUSINESS feels like it finds the opposite motivation for what it does, i.e. PROFITS before everything. if you are interested in CORPORATE ETHOS and CULTURE, especially form a distinctly JAPANESE perspective, then definitely check out this documentary. or, if you are just a fan of NINTENDO, this film is definitely worth your time. enjoy. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
with MODERN MEME CULTURE and INSTANTANEOUS global distribution via SOCIAL MEDIA, CONCEPTUAL ART that trades on PARODY and SATIRE is fairly commonplace. its part of the everyday LEXICON that being an engaged consumer of information in our DIGITAL AGE almost requires and it covers every POLITICAL STANCE, GENDER IDENTIFICATION and MORAL PROCLIVITY, for and against. its OVERWHELMING and one gets the sense that with the impending AI takeover of our VISUAL CULTURE things are going to move another rung in the POST-TRUTH world we have collectively stepped into.
with the RENOWNED AGITPROP artist RON ENGLISH there is a MORAL CENTER to his MASH-UP oil paintings and notoriously ILLEGAL guerrilla billboard campaigns that find him utilizing the VISUAL LANGUAGE of POP CULTURE against CORPORATE GREED and GOVERNMENT OVEREACH that does not have whats best for society in mind when game-planning decisions. the recent documentary POPAGANDA: THE ART AND CRIMES OF RON ENGLISH (CINEMA LIBRE, 2005) eloquently presents the risks and rewards of his RIGHTEOUS and REBELLIOUS VISUAL AESTHETIC that lampoons and eviscerates everything from the CORPORATE ICONOGRAPHY of RONALD MACDONALD, JOE CAMEL and MICKEY MOUSE to the VISUAL LANGUAGE of POWER innate in the UNITED STATES dollar as well as countless luxury items. its hard to not appreciate the man and his message of ENLIGHTENED SUBVERSION. especially with his CELEBRATED billboard campaigns that utilized the same FONTS, COLORS, MATERIALS and TEMPLATES used by advertisers. such billboard posters were so SEAMLESS and PROFESSIONAL that they would last a few days before being taken down. his effort was one of RECLAIMING PUBLIC SPACE and further continuing the conversation with marketing and advertising firms. he was attempting to democratize the VISUAL POLLUTION citizens are subject to on a daily basis. its all very INTERESTING because at its core these billboards are rather EPHEMERAL. yes, they have a (PASSIVE) audience that dwarfs that of a successful gallery exhibition, but ultimately his work will be discarded with a short shelf-life both in terms of the MESSAGE and the MEDIUM. such is why he made the decision to diversify into traditional oil painting. this is where i unknowingly became familiar with some of his work, namely the STRIKING album cover of THE DANDY WARHOLS' fourth album WELCOME TO THE MONKEY HOUSE (CAPITOL, 2003), KORN's THE SERENITY OF SUFFERING (ROADRUNNER, 2016) and ICONIC GUNS N' ROSES / VELVET REVOLVER guitarist SLASH's more recent SLASH (EMI, 2010), WORLD ON FIRE (ROADRUNNER, 2014) and LIVING THE DREAM (ROADRUNNER, 2018) solo releases. his style is BOLD and VIBRANT and makes use of models to provide ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES on ICONOGRAPHY sourced from all things FILM, TELEVISION and FAST FOOD. his work is focused around the common CULTURAL APPROPRIATION of everyday icons mashed together OUT-OF-CONTEXT to great effect, but it isnt KITSCH. there is a deliberate statement being conveyed about the INHERENT DISPOSABILITY of daily AMERICAN life and the CRASS CONSUMERISM that seemingly defines our how the collective HOPES and DREAMS of our CULTURE are defined. it is difficult not to side with ENGLISH and discover DEEP HUMOR and IMMENSE HUMANITY in the CLEVER MESSAGING of his work. POPAGANDA: THE ART AND CRIMES OF RON ENGLISH is essential viewing in my opinion.
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
nearly two decades ago i was introduced to the work of MARK ROTHKO at 20th century retrospective of AMERICAN ART at THE WHITNEY at its old UPPER EAST SIDE location. i remember it with clarity because i attended this event with my parents and grandmother, who became visually and verbally upset when confronted with one of his RENOWNED COLOR FIELD PAINTINGS. she could not handle the fact that this painting was varying shades of black. for me there was no turning back. anyone that pissed off my grandmother was alright in my book and thus my interest in ROTHKO began in earnest.
THE SILENCE OF MARK ROTHKO (ICARUS, 2016) is a recent documentary that attempts to present the ABSTRACT PAINTER and his work as he intentioned it. assisting with this endeavor is his adult son CHRISTOPHER, who reads aloud his words and acts as a stand-in narrator of sorts. it is mentioned that he has a similar voice to that of his father. all this being said, ROTHKO and his COLOR FIELD PAINTINGS are deliberately OPAQUE and AMBIGUOUS to being with. it is as if the ARTIST is painting EMOTION on a purely SUB-COGNITIVE level. ever the CONTRARIAN, the film states that according to ROTHKO an ACADEMIC FORMAL ANALYSIS of his work via discussion of TRADITIONAL aspects like FORM, COLOR, TECHNIQUE, REPRESENTATION or ABSTRACTION are WELL-INTENTIONED but WRONG. he hoped for his work to be experienced, not watched. it feels like his work is an attempt at DECONSTRUCTING and REFRAMING the entire discussion surrounding WESTERN ART in an almost MARCEL DUCHAMP-ian manner. what is ART and who decides? my experience when confronted with ROTHKO's PAINTINGS is the INTENSE MEDITATIVE QUALITY to them, where in these meticulously labored over border regions are subtle borderlines that seem to intimate INFINITY. i think ROTHKO saw his PAINTINGS as a PURE DISTILLATION and EXPRESSION of HUMAN EMOTION, including our individual capacity for VIOLENCE and FEAR of DEATH. i look at them and i feel like i am in the presence of the SUBLIME. my hope is to one day visit the ROTHKO CHAPEL outside of HOUSTON, arguably the only existing presentation of his work sanctioned by the ARTIST. not sure what to make of THE SILENCE OF MARK ROTHKO. i came into this documentary CONFUSED about MARK ROTHKO and i left CONFUSED, but that probably says more about my SHALLOW inability to intellectually COMPREHEND the VAST META-NARRATIVES that the ARTIST is involved in. or maybe all that conceptual and philosophical talk is SUPERFLUOUS to the UNIQUE EXPERIENCE of just walking up and taking in one of his DISTINCT COLOR FIELD PAINTINGS with an open mind and open heart. you know, unlike my grandmother. thats my opinion at least. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
INDEPENDENT FILM PRODUCER / DIRECTOR ROGER CORMAN is a SINGULAR HOLLYWOOD legend whose INDUSTRY influence and cultural impact is difficult to sum up neatly, but that is exactly what the recent hour-long documentary ROGER CORMAN: THE POPE OF POP CINEMA (CALIFORNIA PROD, 2021) does.
in a sense, its SUCCINCT overview of his career mirrors that of the FRUGAL no-nonsense aesthetics of his moving pictures, which are often HIGH ON CONCEPT and LOW ON PRODUCTION VALUE. given that he funded his own pictures, CORMAN was incentivized to cut cost where he could, allowing for more films to be created and thus opportunities for profit. his talent pool was often YOUNG and CHEAP and subjects covered exploited the YOUTH CULTURE of the day with MONSTER, SCI-FI, HORROR and SKIN PICTURES. such efforts have rendered CORMAN very much one of the core ORIGINATORS of EXPLOITATION FILMS writ large. his BUSINESS MODEL also allowed for the initial directing opportunities (again, because they were CHEAP) for the likes of such later CELEBRATED talents as PETER BOGDANOVICH (THE LAST PICTURE SHOW), MARTIN SCORSESE (MEAN STREETS, RAGING BULL, GOODFELLAS), RON HOWARD (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, APOLLO 13), FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA (THE GODFATHER, APOCALYPSE NOW), JAMES CAMERON (AVATAR, TITANIC), JONATHAN DEMME (THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS), JOE DANTE (GREMLINS) and JOHN SAYLES (PASSION FISH, LONE STAR). behind the camera, much of his staff were WOMEN, an ANOMALY in HOLLYWOOD where employment skewed WHITE, MALE and OLD. this is INTERESTING given the SEXPLOITATION FILMS CORMAN produced in contrast to the more MUTED, MAINSTREAM fair out of the studio system during the late 1960s and especially throughout the 1970s. the EXTREME THRIFTINESS of CORMAN is stuff of HOLLYWOOD LEGEND, but seemingly his lasting contribution to AMERICAN CULTURE is the entrepreneurial mythology surrounding the individual with an INNOVATIVE idea in AMERICA has the potential to disrupt an INDUSTRY. his example paved a new lane in the movie business for others to mimic and exploit in later generations, but in today's late stage CAPITALIST ENVIRONMENT it all feels a bit like an ANACHRONISM from a bygone era. today's DIGITIZED and soon to be artificial intelligence-enabled MARKETPLACE has seemingly cornered the market opportunities for new entries who would be swallowed whole or drowned in their infancy before making a bid for economic relevance. my thought is not so much about CORMAN and his innovations, but on what that sort of ICONOCLASTIC FIGURE would be like in today's digital media and highly interactive MARKET LANDSCAPE. truth is i dont know. but at least this film got me thinking about it. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
it is increasingly DIFFICULT to look at the state of things and not come to anything but the UNFORTUNATE conclusion that the world has completely DEGENERATED at that hands of MANKIND over the past fifty years. in the UNITED STATES there has been a clear demarcating line over decades that has seen PUBLIC EDUCATION ATTACKED AND DEFUNDED, THE CLIMATE MORE POLLUTED (MORE PLASTIC THAN FISH IN OCEANS, GLOBAL WARMING), INCOME INEQUALITY MORE PRONOUNCED and the RISE OF AUTHORITARIANISM. it is almost as if HUMANITY has DE-EVOLVED. and that is the treatise of the recent DEVOLUTION: A DEVO THEORY (DEAD HEART FILMS, 2021) documentary centered around the philosophical underpinnings of the creative work of iconic POST PUNK / NEW WAVE band DEVO, with interviews with surviving members GERALD CASALE, MARK MOTHERSBAUGH and BOB MOTHERSBAUGH as well as FREEDOM OF CHOICE (WARNER BROS, 1980) producer ROBERT MARGOULEFF and the generationally talented late-career drummer (and noted DEVO superfan) JOSH FREESE. the group began as an art project by CASALE and MARK that was a reaction to the COMPLIANT BEHAVIOR, MINDLESS CONSUMERISM and rampant IRRATIONALITY they saw in AMERICAN culture around them in OHIO at the time. both were students at KENT STATE UNIVERSITY and CASALE himself found himself in the middle of the MASSACRE that happened on MAY 4, 1970 when NATIONAL GUARD soldiers fired live rounds upon a group of VIETNAM WAR protestors, KILLING four students and MAIMING nine others. understandably for CASALE, this was a profoundly TRAUMATIC and LIFE-ALTERING event that made him question his upbringing and the core of his AMERICAN identity. watching and reading the media responses that contextualized and/or justified the MURDER of his fellow students as INEVITABLE left a lasting impression on him. political interests and the propagation of PROPAGANDA was real thing. DEVOLUTION was REAL. only a DEVOLVED SYSTEM would allow such a TRAVESTY to happen. unquestionably this event served as the impetus for initiating DEVO in earnest. the SAD fact is that over the next forty years, their postulation that humans were DE-EVOLVING has come to fruition. right now the AMERICAN population is DISTRACTING ITSELF with technology, HATRED for their fellow countryman and GREED and SELF-INTEREST is RAMPANT. CASALE sees a widespread BUSINESS CULTURE that is founded not on EMPATHY or MUTUAL BENEFIT but on the most BASE, DISHONEST and DISHONORABLE of human values. there is a basic disconnect given the rampant INCOME INEQUALITY at the current moment that feels like an IMMINENT powder keg ready to explode and effectively dismantle the whole AMERICAN experiment. we are out of touch with our HUMANITY, our connection to each other, our written and fought-for constitution and our fundamental values of EMPATHY and BROTHERHOOD as a nation. everything is WARPED. its obvious to point out DONALD TRUMP since he is the physical embodiment of this bloated LATE-STAGE CAPITALISM and its INSATIABLE GREED and CONSTANT NARCISSISM. not only that CASALE notes that the dude fully embraces and takes JOY in being an ASSHOLE. so where do we go from here? i dont know. it all feels pretty FUCKED. DEVO was, in fact, right. i'm a hardcore DEVO fan so of course i recommend DEVOLUTION: A DEVO THEORY, but what takes center stage here is not necessarily their MUSIC or cultural legacy. this film is not about that. it is about the POLITICAL IDEAS and PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPTS that underpin such, which are CONFRONTATIONAL as they THOUGHT-PROVOKING. at the very least, this documentary is asking its audience to not take them at face value and think for themselves. im certain the promotion of RATIONAL THINKING and THOUGHTFUL, INFORMED DEBATE is what they are seeking with this late-career film. likewise, im sure the promotion of such is what they objectively sought with their INNOVATIVE MUSIC and longstanding career. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
there is a moment early in the ANDROID IN LA LA LAND (PERFECTMOTION, 2016) documentary when you learn that GARY NUMAN's wife GEMMA was a member of his fan club back in the day and had a collection of early photographs of early gigs to prove such. the SINKING FEELING i had watching such about the obvious potential pitfalls of marrying a fan were IMMEDIATE and UNFORGIVING. turns out this was completely wrong as his wife is arguably the bedrock of SUPPORT and SECURITY that has helped assist him through PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL PROBLEMS for decades. if anything, this film seems to be a testament to her DEEP and UNWAVERING DEDICATION and LOVE and the FAMILY they built and fought for together. it really is quite the HEARTWARMING film.
the documentary finds VETERAN SYNTH POP ICON GARY NUMAN at a PROFESSIONAL CROSSRAODS, moving his FAMILY to LOS ANGELES from ENGLAND in the hopes of revitalizing his CAREER and potentially getting involved in a new phase of such working on films scores (a la his friend and mentee TRENT REZNOR). it has been decades since he was a relevant force on the charts, which is not to diminish his CHERISHED roles as a CULT FIGURE and ELECTRONIC MUSIC ELDER STATESMAN. coinciding with his almost decade-long hiatus from releasing any recorded music was a similar years-long bout with DEPRESSION, ANXIETY and CHRONIC PANIC ATTACKS. as the father of three young girls and a dedicated husband, part of his MOTIVATION for pushing himself again in the studio was centered around the longterm well-being of his FAMILY. the resulting album SPLINTER () positions him as a relevant CULTURAL FORCE again and undoubtedly has given him more opportunity for connections in the ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. thats all well and good, but for me the INTERESTING part of this documentary was the relationship of NUMAN with his FAMILY, including his PARENTS. apparently his parents looked after his early CAREER in a management role. his father although seemingly DISINTERESTED in his music or lyrics, was compelled to protect his son and look after his financial interests. it was NUMAN's own inability to cut costs at the behest of his father that his CAREER imploded, leading not just to PROFESSIONAL CONSEQUENCES, but a rift in the FAMILY as well. even decades later this situation still pains NUMAN and it is GEMMA that navigates and mends that tense standoff. you get the sense that in his WIFE NUMAN has found a TRUE PARTNER that has the needs of their FAMILY at the very forefront her priorities. it is pretty INCREDIBLE. my heart broke when she reveals her bought with POST-PARTUM DEPRESSION after a long list of efforts at CREATING a FAMILY together. again, you see how much she has DEDICATED and SUFFERED for in building and NURTURING her FAMILY. that being the case you can see why NUMAN was so dedicated in turning out his best work in decades. the narrative of this film is not that FAMILY is something that drags him down and depends on his COMMERCIAL SUCCESS, rather inversely success provides him with the means to better secure a FAMILY he seemingly absolutely adores and never expected as a SHY, QUIET and UNASSUMING child with ASPERGER'S SYNDROME who became the most UNLIKELY of GLOBAL POP STARS. i was very much touched by ANDROID IN LA LA LAND. it is most definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
JIM MORRISON of THE DOORS was and will remain a ROCK AND ROLL ICON for the ages. at his peak he was this sort of HYBRID POET / SHAMAN / PROPHET figure that pointed the way to PUNK ROCK decades in advance and tapped into this previously unexploited thread that effectively unleashed the existing DRUG CULTURE and SEXUAL REVOLUTION on an unprepared square, conventional MIDDLE AMERICA mental prison from which he was raised under. ELVIS PRESLEY and THE BEATLES may have hinted at and pointed the way, but JIM MORRISON was culturally the first AVATAR of unbridled DIONYSIAN LUST and UNADULTERATED CHAOS in AMERICAN musical culture. he was the perfect frontman for that period in AMERICA's history that was turmoil at the height of the VIETNAM WAR, CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT and the emergence of the COUNTERCULTURE as a POLITICAL BLOC.
he is identifiably on the short list of his most INFLUENTIAL ROCK AND ROLL singers of all time and his example was picked up on and pushed forward by his legions of later PROTO-PUNK, PUNK ROCK, POST PUNK, HARDCORE and ALTERNATIVE ROCK acolytes including that of most notably IGGY POP (THE STOOGES), ALICE COOPER, PATTI SMITH, DARBY CRASH (THE GERMS), IAN CURTIS (JOY DIVISION), DAVE GAHAN (DEPECHE MODE), KURT COBAIN (NIRVANA), IAN MCCULLOCH (ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN), PERRY FARRELL (JANE'S ADDICTION), ROBERT SMITH (THE CURE), MARK LANEGAN (SCREAMING TREES), IAN ASTBURY (THE CULT), NICK CAVE (THE BIRTHDAY PARTY) and ANTON NEWCOMBE (THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE) among countless others. at this stage more than half a century later, his influence on AMERICAN culture is undeniable and self-evident. his CHARISMATIC, MYSTICAL example is irreparably baked into the very notion of being a ROCK AND ROLL star. what has been reevaluated in scholarly circles in the years since his passing is the literary quality of his POETRY and the relative OUTALNDISHNESS of his LOUTISH behavior. for example JOHN LENNON of THE BEATLES is recognized as one of the great songwriters (if not the greatest) of the 20th century while at the same time treated women poorly and was a TERRIBLE, absentee father to his first son. both things are true. so such are the modern evaluative critical fault lines with JIM MORRISON. the recent documentary JIM MORRISON: THE WILD CHILD (ENTERTAIN ME PRODUCTIONS, 2019) seems to want it both ways, presenting him at times as both ADONIS and ICARUS. there are only a handful of no-name experts of DUBIOUS quality rendering their opinion and no peers or later acolytes rounding out the critical evaluation. at times it seems they cant decide whether this film is a HAGIOGRAPHY or a critical take down of his legacy. i'm game for it either way, but it just felt HALF-BAKED in the end and i felt at the very least THE LIZARD KING deserved a COGENT argument for or against. the guy was COMPLICATED but not that hard to discern and construct a COHERENT narrative around. this documentary left me disappointed and i would recommend fans of THE DOORS, CLASSIC ROCK and all things JIM MORRISON to seek information elsewhere as this documentary has all the markings of a CHEAP cash grab. people are STRANGE, indeed. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
the recent RANDY RHOADS: REFLECTIONS OF A GUITAR ICON (VMI WORLDWIDE, 2002) documentary is a WARM, WELL-MEANING yet CLUMSY film about the LEGENDARY OZZY OSBOURNE GUITARIST. utilizing archival footage from major PLAYERS is career and new interviews with minor collaborators and acquaintances, the film presents a generationally GIFTED musician who had a HUMBLE sense of grace about his elevated status in the entertainment industry. in other words, the FAME and UNIVERSAL PRAISE surrounding the OZZY releases BLIZZARD OF OZZ (JET, 1981) and DIARY OF A MADMAN (JET, 1981) never got to his head.
as a former educator myself, the aspect of RANDY RHOADS presented in this film that i found most COMPELLING was that at his heart he as a TEACHER. he was a servant to his students. case in point was how even at the height of his scene rivalry with VAN HALEN as a member of LOS ANGELES club band QUIET RIOT, he would lay his ego aside and still transpose and learn EDDIE VAN HALEN riffs at the behest of his students (who were naive to such competition). when living in ENGLAND with OZZY and his family during the writing of BLIZZARD OF OZZ, RHOADS remained TEACHABLE by taking lessons and studying CLASSICAL MUSIC which paid dividends on "REVELATION (MOTHER EARTH)." there is a PALPABLE sense that while he enjoyed his INSTRUMENT, the WRITING PROCESS and PLAYING LIVE, what RHOADS couldnt stand about his peer group was their arrogance towards fans and the public. he never deluded himself into believing his GIFT and PASSION towards GUITAR PLAYING elevated him relative to everyone else. this at the beginning of a decade that truly saw ROCK AND ROLL fall into that mental trip wholesale. in this sense he shared the DIY ETHOS of INDIR ROCK and HARDCORE acts of the 1980s rather than the GLAM METAL contingent he is associated with. and speaking of DIY, i did not realize the lengths to which QUIET RIOT during this early lineup that RHOADS was a part of went in attempting to garner a record deal. staging multiple televised protests with fans, COUNTLESS showcases and cycling through three managers, all for nought. but its this futility that led RHOADS to audition for OZZY and ultimately become a MODERN GUITAR ICON on par with his rival EDDIE VAN HALEN as well as JIMI HENDRIX, DIMEBAG DARRELL, SLASH and JIMMY PAGE among others. remaining UNASSUMING and TEACHABLE while feverishly perfecting ones CRAFT and sacrificing time and energy towards a goal is an INCREDIBLE ability. especially during that era. this documentary felt a bit HALF-BAKED with SHODDY visual transitions and LESS-THEN-STELLAR insights from minor characters. i think they should have held out for more HIGH PROFILE MUSICIANS to make this film more worthwhile, because as is its a bit meh. TRANSCENDENT GUITAR PLAYER, MEDIOCRE documentary. he deserved better. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
something EXTRAORDINARY happened in the 1960s. from the post-war economic prosperity and relative CONSERVATIVE CULTURAL MALAISE of the 1950s came an ERUPTIVE overflow of long-simmering ideas that altered the COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS of the BABY BOOMER generation just coming into their own. any and all TRADITIONS were under RECONSIDERATION, which resulted in various movements (CIVIL RIGHTS, FEMINIST, ENVIRONMENTALIST, ANTI-WAR, PROTO-GAY RIGHTS, NATIVE RIGHTS) and new adoptive practices (SEXUAL REVOLUTION and PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION) to effectively DISCONNECT this COHORT GROUP from all generations that came before. this was by definition a COUNTER CULTURE.
the SUPERB ALISON ELLWOOD and ALEX GIBNEY-directed MAGIC TRIP (MAGNOLIA, 2011) documentary holds its focus on this MONUMENTAL inflection point in AMERICAN HISTORY, manifested by the transformation of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (VIKING, 1964) author KEN KESEY during this period. KESEY was every bit the all-AMERICAN boy next door, the son of HUMBLE dairy farmers who married his middle school sweetheart (til his death in 2001) and attended the local UNIVERSITY OF OREGON as a lettered wrestler (and one-time OLYMPIC prospect). after being injured he became interested in journalism and later creative writing which led him to STANFORD after graduation. it was here that he became involved in nascent government studies on HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS. it was his understanding at the time that they were being examined and studied for their PALLIATIVE EFFECTS, only to learn years after the fact via friend and colleague ALLEN GINSBERG that such were conducted with more COERCIVE intentions. incredibly, LSD was being state administered to garner information concerning their MIND-ALTERING EFFECTS to be used in future interrogations by the CIA. regardless, a seed was planted in KESEY. in the late 1950s and early 1960s there was a groundswell of academic and intellectual exploration into the CONSCIOUSNESS-EXPANDING EFFECTS of PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES, most famously by HARVARD professors TIMOTHY LEARY and RICHARD ALPERT (a.k.a RAM DASS). even BRITISH intellectual heavyweights such as ALDOUS HUXLEY were early proponents of MEASURED and DELIBERATE usage of PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES in order to gain a WIDER and more VIVID EXPERIENTIAL APPRECIATION and PERSPECTIVE on the natural world and our connection to it. but this was still very much an academic and intellectual affair. KESEY and his friends (dubbed "THE MERRY PRANKTERS") decided to cross the UNITED STATES from OREGON in 1964, auspiciously to see the newly opened WORLD'S FAIR in NEW YORK CITY while filming themselves along the way. there was a technical issue with the sound, which never linked with the video, and numerous editing attempts rendered the film ultimately abandoned. what is INCREDIBLE is that the majority of the film is conceived from this footage and some of the audio. MAGIC TRIP is a REMARKABLE look at the emerging of a CONSCIOUSNESS and the COUNTER CULTURE of the period. all of these clean shaven, short-haired prime examples of AMERICAN youth over the course of the journey on this PHANTASMAGORICALLY COLORED, heavily MODIFIED school bus (named "FURTHER") took DRUGS that opened them up to new SEXUAL CONFIGURATIONS with each other (regardless of married status) and new NOVEL APPRECIATIONS of the NATURAL ORDER, whose ever-shifting, EXPANSIVE landscape they witnessed in real time from their window. some went MAD and others fled for easier routes eastward, but what emerged was the birth of a new CONSCIOUSNESS. by the time they got to QUEENS and saw the WORLD'S FAIR, the cultural landscape had already effectively SHIFTED, rendering such a WILD corporate fantasyland of the future an anachronism due to simmering DESTRUCTIVE tides of the period related to the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT and the recent tragic assassination of JFK. once the common usage of PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS became something a NATIONAL SOCIAL PHENOMENON (or a trend) over the course of the decade and had long since transcended the measured and deliberate usage prescribed by its academic fore-bearers, KESEY changed his tune somewhat. more than being arrested on trumped-up MARIJUANA charges that forced his hand to avert prison time, KESEY saw the DESTRUCTIVE power of these CONTROLLED CHEMICALS on NAIVE and UNINFORMED users. such is the case with all new technology (nuclear, pharmacological or otherwise) that once out of the bag, the responsibility lies with the participating adult. it INTRIGUING how in one roundtrip bus excursion across the UNITED STATES that took less than a year to complete is the story of an entire decade. one whose CULTURAL REVERBERATIONS we are still grappling with and feeling more than half a century later. MAGIC TRIP is an EXCEPTIONAL documentary well worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
originally conceived in the late 1950s as part of a new series of four decidedly MODERNIST guitar models by GIBSON pushed by their LEGENDARY president TED MCCARTY (including the EXPLORER, FUTURA and MODERNE) to compete with the FUTURISTIC FENDER STRATOCASTER, the FLYING V was shelved shortly after production began due to low sales. it wasnt until the PROMINENT 1950s BLUES guitarist ALBERT KING and later 1960s ROCK AND ROLL guitar players like DAVE DAVIES (THE KINKS), ANDY POWELL (WISHBONE ASH) and JIMI HENDRIX began using them that their popularity began in earnest. later in the 1970s and 1980s the model found a home and became identifiable with the NWOBHM and THRASH METAL scenes in bands like JUDAS PRIEST, MERCYFUL FATE, DIAMOND HEAD, SCORPIONS, ACCEPT and KING DIAMOND as well as SLAYER, METALLICA and MEGADETH.
the IN-ARTFULLY named, conceived and executed recent FLYING V (TEN NINETY ONE, 2020) documentary is focused on the SYNERGISTIC relationship between those music scenes and that particular GUITAR MODEL. there is something to be said about the GIBSON models LACK OF CURVES and SPACE-AGE AESTHETICS which stood out on stage and literally pointed the way forward. their popularity resulted in a myriad of later brands, most notably JACKSON, ESP, B.C RICH, DEAN, SHECTER, KRAMER, IBANEZ and so on taking their stab at creating POINTIER, more ANGULAR REVISIONS with DIFFERENT ACTIVE PICKUP CONFIGURATIONS that went well beyond the original SETH LOVER humbucking pickups associated with the original. the film is largely an INCOHERENT series of interview clips with the likes of K.K. DOWNING (JUDAS PRIEST), MICHAEL SHENKER (UFO / SCORPIONS), MICHAEL DENNER & HANK SHERMANN (MERCYFUL FATE), BRIAN TATLER (DIAMOND HEAD), WOLF HOFFMAN (ACCEPT), ANDY LAROCQUE (KING DIAMOND), MICHAEL AMOTT (ARCH ENEMY), DAVE MUSTAINE (MEGADETH), JAMES HETFIELD (METALLICA) and KERRY KING (SLAYER) among others about various aspects of the guitars appeal. most of these interviews are pretty TEDIOUS and REPETITIVE and act almost as advertisements for the band members and their particular MODELS, which does the FLYING V ultimately a disservice in my opinion. the film would have been served better by conducting interviews with the manufacturers themselves and those that are continuing to INNOVATE on the original design. there is also LAZY EDITING and the LACK OF LICENSED MUSIC by said artists, which shows both a LACK OF BUDGET and buy-in from the artists themselves. in fact, the same GENERIC background music is repetitively utilized over and over again throughout to the point that it grates as the film rambles on. in totality, this film was difficult to watch even with a passion for the subject that i have as a fan of guitars and their development in general. this film feels RUSHED and ILL-CONCEIVED and would have been executed in a more talented director's hands with a bigger budget. NOTHING WAS LEARNED here that a thirty second perusal through the first two paragraphs of a WIKIPEDIA entry couldnt have taught me, which funny enough feels like the extent of the preproduction utilized for this documentary. id given this film a hard pass unless one is exceedingly interested in the subject of FLYING Vs to the extent that they could stomach one EVISCERATING the topic. dont say you werent forewarned. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
there is so much that goes into a THRIVING and VIABLE MUSIC and ARTS COMMUNITY. its not just the VISIBLE ARTISTS and audience INVOLVED, but arguably more importantly an entire LOCAL MUNICIPAL AGENDA that encapsulates SYMPATHETIC ECONOMIC, LEGAL and even ZONING POLICIES. the pre-pandemic documentary NOW SOUND: MELBOURNE'S LISTENING (KEWL, 2018) is an extended argument for the maintaining of said POLICIES in MELBOURNE and beyond so that the EXTENDED COMMUNITY of INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES, RADIO STATIONS, RECORDING STUDIOS, REHEARSAL SPACES, RECORD LABELS, PERFORMANCE VENUES and VINYL PRESSING PLANTS may continue unabated by new political regimes.
at the heart of this argument is the CULTURAL VALUE of said ARTS COMMUNITY from which all the economic benefits are generated. SYDNEY is portrayed as a DOOMED, CAUTIONARY alternative example having previously imposed LAWS and RESTRICTIONS that limited business hours that basically curtailed LOCAL VENUES and cratered the scene overnight. or at least made it go UNDERGROUND with DUBIOUS LEGALITY and higher risk environments for potential patrons. watching NOW SOUND i couldnt help but be reminded of a similar situation in BROOKLYN neighborhoods like WILLIAMSBURG and GREENPOINT whereby the success of the LOCAL ARTS SCENE, which initially took advantage of SUPPORTIVE ZONING POLICIES and cheap rent, cannibalized itself as it attracted the attention of real estate developers eager to take advantage of the scene's NOTORIETY and now a decade or two later the whole place is a series of FACELESS, IMPOSING residential buildings. one even stands where my cousin's former RECORDING STUDIO was once located. as much as participants in MELBOURNE's EXPANSIVE MUSIC and ARTS SCENE pre-pandemic were pushing for more INCLUSIVITY and much-needed safe spaces for WOMEN and the LGBTQIA community, the sad truth is that ultimately GENTRIFICATION will seemingly level everyone. it happened in BROOKLYN and AUSTIN and various other thriving STATESIDE SCENES. this film seems to be an educational effort aimed at getting the word out about the potential future danger of MELBOURNE devouring itself in the name of short-term PROFITS and ultimately losing its HARD-FOUGHT REPUTATION as a MULTI-CULTURAL HAVEN in the process. sadly, i think that transformation is INEVITABLE. GREED and CAPITALISM consumes everything in its path, especially ART. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
my introduction to the CINEMATIC work of KEVIN SMITH is intertwined with my family's relocation from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA to NEW JERSEY in the mid-90s. during that period we were only stateside for the summer months as we were living abroad in NIGERIA at the time as part of my parent's work, but found ourselves every year at a distant relative's JERSEY SHORE home in a SUBURBAN town called MIDDLETOWN just off EXIT 114 on the GARDEN STATE PARKWAY. we've more or less been based in the same general area ever since, despite several stints abroad. it was our adopted base and has become our home.
SMITH, much like BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (or to a much lesser extent BON JOVI) is a prominent part of the cultural fabric of that community, as he grew up in HIGHLANDS and famously worked at the QUICK STOP in nearby LEONARDO by the naval base (both part of MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP), before pursuing the most IMPROBABLE of FILM CAREERS. the retrospective CLERK (1091 PICTURES, 2021) documentary follows SMITH's career trajectory and examines how successes and failures effected his sense of IDENTITY. in essence, he learned along the way that he personified a certain AMERICAN archetype revolving around supposed NERDISH pursuits (i.e. comic books, STAR WARS, hockey?) that endeared him to a surprisingly abundant yet dormant national community of likeminded SELF-IDENTIFIED DORKS. this career pivot towards online fan forums (long before social media), touring speaking engagements and later podcasting made him more immediately available and on INTIMATE terms with his audience. yes, he is a noted SCREENWRITER and FILMMAKER with an identifiably specific, working-class ethos and voice to his work, but he has now made a second career of professionally being, in essence, KEVIN SMITH. his fans have basically been riding shotgun with him for years now, supporting his privately distributed INDIE FILMS and learning about his gains (new projects) and setbacks (including a recent HEART ATTACK that led him to go vegan and lose weight). recently i watched a retrospective documentary on QUENTIN TARANTINO, in which there is mention of a statement he made after learning about the MASSIVE court case against former MIRAMAX / THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY chairman and elite producer HARVEY WEINSTEIN. he noted that he knew enough to know something and did nothing end stop. it was an ANEMIC response that really made TARANTINO look TERRIBLE and surprisingly IMPOTENT. SMITH, likewise, had many of his more WELL-KNOWN and critically REVERED films distributed through MIRAMAX over the years. learning about the WEINSTEIN allegations shocked him to his core, enough to immediately vow to donate all future residual earnings from those films to the nonprofit WOMEN IN FILM, an advocacy group for GENDER EQUALITY in the FILM INDUSTRY. which is pretty incredible. im just continually relieved that someone from my area has gone on to create great work on such a massive scale while still remaining part of the local JERSEY SHORE community. its just something about MONMOUTH COUNTY where sightings of FAMOUS residents like DEBORAH HARRY (LINCROFT), BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (COLTS NECK), BON JOVI (RUMSON) and KEVIN SMITH (RED BANK) are met with shrugs. they are just regular people getting on with their lives in peace. success for some is something to aspire to, but these people seemingly didnt lose themselves along the way and remained available and local. i respect them for that and im glad they are from my area. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
its difficult to downplay the cultural impact of THE NATIONAL LAMPOON on MODERN HUMOR. what are now considered heralded comedic institutions such as SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (NBC, 1975-present), ANIMAL HOUSE (UNIVERSAL, 1978), CADDYSHACK (WARNER BROS, 1980) and even THE SIMPSONS (FOX, 1989-present), were built on the collective INSPIRED work of generations of WRITERS (PJ O'ROURKE, MICHAEL O'DONOGHUE, GEORGE W.S. TROW, ANNE BEATS, SEAN KELLY, MIKE REISS, AL JEAN, TONY HENDRA), ARTISTS (SAM GROSS, CHARLES RODRIGUES, M.K. BROWN, RICK MEYEROWITZ, BRUCE MCCALL, GAHAN WILSON) and COMEDIANS (JOHN BELUSHI, GILDA RADNER, BILL MURRAY, HAROLD RAMIS, CHEVY CHASE) famously associated with the publication. the publication, which was started by two preternaturally GIFTED HARVARD undergrads DOUGLAS KENNEY and HENRY BEARD in 1970, grew to be unrivaled in its INTELLIGENT deconstruction of cultural and political events, while simultaneously producing some of the RAUNCHIEST, borderline OBSCENE material meant to probe and titillate at the same time. its beyond INTERESTING that they had both poles so expertly covered during a period of such cultural and political turmoil in the UNITED STATES with the VIETNAM WAR sill very much in effect as well as the aftermath of the FEMINIST, ENVIRONMENTALIST and CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS from the previous decade.
i feel i understand why the DRUNK, STONED, BRILLIANT, DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON (NETFLIX, 2015) documentary came out when it did almost a decade ago. the SAD reality is that those involved with THE NATIONAL LAMPOON are dying of old age. in fact numerous PROMINENT WRITERS interviewed for this film have passed away just in the past three years. in many ways this film is meant as a testament to their legacy in-their-own-words a la recent efforts to the same effect by other INFLUENTIAL upstart and/or legacy publications like MAD, CURVE, PLAYBOY, BIG BROTHER and CREEM. not to mention the surviving members of MONTY PYTHON, who are a comedic universe and institution unto themselves to rival that of THE NATIONAL LAMPOON. one aspect of this retrospective lens a work in this film that i found COMPELLING was how the HUMOR itself wasnt examined that deeply, i.e. all the SEX-CRAZED stuff from an obvious MALE GAZE perspective that would absolutely not play in recent decades. it feels that such an examination is meant for another film by another party as DRUNK, STONED, BRILLIANT, DEAD seems more concerned with faithfully explaining their mindset as they saw it. not how such somewhat RETROGRADE comedic tropes would fit into our current more INCLUSIVE era. given how influential films like ANIMAL HOUSE and CADDYSHACK have been on subsequent decades of comedic films, a cottage industry unto itself, that examination would be fruitful if pursued elsewhere no doubt. i appreciate this film for what it is: a timely reminder of the legacy of a major publication that helped mold AMERICAN HUMOR. interview participants beyond the surviving WRITERS, ARTISTS and COMEDIANS included numerous ACTORS (KEVIN BACON, TIM MATHESON, BEVERLEY D'ANGELO, JOHN GOODMAN, BILLY BOB THORNTON & MEAT LOAF) and DIRECTORS (JUDD APATOW & IVAN REITMAN). its an INSANE story but i still feel this film was a bit of a hagiography and a bit of a MISSED OPPORTUNITY to examine how their comedic perspective was reshaped, morphed or completely discarded down the line by subsequent HUMORISTS, COMEDIANS and WRITERS since the publication went under in 1998. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
BRITISH author ALDOUS HUXLEY is far and away one of the most REVERED LITERARY MINDS of the 20th century, SCIENCE FICTION or otherwise. his enduring legacy was furthered not just with the release of his TRANSFORMATIVE and TRANSGRESSIVE DYSTOPIAN NOVEL BRAVE NEW WORLD (CHATTO & WINDUS, 1932), but likewise with his decades of ESSAYS and CRITICISM, of which were the basis for many PUBLIC DEBATES and SPEECHES, about some of the biggest topics of the modern era. such include then-novel subjects like the negative effects of OVERPOPULATION on our global ecosystem, the paramount danger of NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION (then in its infancy) and even the potential benefits of PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES.
this latter interest is of substantial focus in the documentary HUXLEY ON HUXLEY (BRAUBACH PRODUCTIONS, 2009) in which his surviving second wife LAURA looks back at her experience with her late husband. herself an ITALIAN concert violinist that played at CARNEGIE HALL in her teens, was stranded in the UNITED STATES when WORLD WAR II commenced and eventually found her way to HOLLYWOOD where she failed at being a film editing assistant in the burgeoning new industry. she was married to ALDOUS for only seven years from 1956 to 1963, but during that period he was involved with screenwriting efforts with the likes of ORSON WELLES and GEORGE CUKOR as well as holding court at his HOLLYWOOD HILLS home with cultural luminaries such as GERALD HEAD, CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD and IGOR STRAVINSKY among others. he also found himself at the cutting edge of a recent revolution in the CONSCIOUSNESS EXPANDING and THERAPEUTIC potential of newly synthesized PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES based on the CHEMISTRY of compounds PSILOCYBIN and PSILOCIN. this interest put him in concert with younger academics and EXPERIMENTAL practitioners like TIMOTHY LEARY and RAM DASS of HARVARD UNIVERSITY. in essence, the MEASURED, THOUGHTFUL and DELIBERATE METHODOLOGIES surrounding ALDOUS and his exploration of LSD predated and provided academic cover to what would later blossom in the counterculture of the 1960s almost a decade later. for LAURA, decades after the passing of her late husband in 1963, her life is still very much a continuation of this EXPLORATORY ETHIC, having written and published various self-help books related to her interest in PSYCHOTHERAPY. the DRUGS were just a conduit to understanding the internal capacities, mechanizations and functions of the MIND through bypassing the prefrontal cortex and getting to the heart of the matter. it would seem her such activities were conducted in order for her to achieve her real objective: HELPING PEOPLE. it would appear that such is in alignment with that of the ALTRUISM of her late husband and his adroit and DIRE WARNINGS for the future of HUMANITY. its UNCANNY how PROPHETIC his predictions bore out over time and how PRETERNATURAL his evolved understanding of the HUMAN CONDITION was back in the 1930s through his death on november 22, 1963 (note: yes, the same day as fellow author C.S. LEWIS and the JFK assassination). this HUXLEY ON HUXLEY documentary is a little WONKY in its editing and pacing but CHARMING and EDUCATIONAL nonetheless, which makes it well-worth checking out. RIP LAURA and ALDOUS HUXLEY |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
April 2024
CATEGORIES
All
|