A slushy mix of art and non-art that I use as references for my own art.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Matthew Barney / Interpol Sucks

Hurray for insomnia.



I've been wanting to make short films that involve really elaborate but seemingly pointless rituals for a while now, which is something that Matthew Barney is really good at. I know that his movies, to him, and thick and rich and a messy symbolic SOUP and it shows this thought. But I have always just enjoyed them at face value, I simply enjoy the activities that are happening and feel no real need to connect them. He simply lets the viewer be, as if you are an infant seeing something totally unrelatable. The full cremaster cycle is coming to Portland soon and I am tempted to shell out the $20 bucks to see all five of them. [Not really a bad deal at all.] I've only seen the order and Drawing Restraint 9, thanks to the MICA screening. Did you know that the legit cremaster is only an edition of 10 copies? That is nuts.

Drawing Restraint 9 is also awesome thanks to the fact that the music is ballin, thanks to the fine lady that is Ms. Bjork.

That Interpol video was trying to pull some Matthew Barney shit, but it did'nt work because Interpol stopped making good albums three records ago, the costumes are not an 80th as cool, and Ian Curtis is dead. I won't lie though the first time I watched it I thought it was kind of pretty. I'm a sucker for weird exchanges involving viscous matter. What can I say.

And why this made me think of the star, I have no idea. But here is that. Pulled from here.

Photobucket Photobucket

I construct a five-pointed star (made of wood and wood chips soaked in 100 litres of petrol). I set fire to the star. I walk around it. I cut my hair and throw the clumps into each point of the star. I cut my toe-nails and throw the clippings into each point of the star. I walk into the star and lie down on the empty surface. Lying down, I fail to notice that the flames have used up all the oxygen. I lose consciousness. The viewers do not notice, because I am supine. When a flame touches my leg and I still show no reaction, two viewers come into the star and carry me out of it. I am confronted with my physical limitations, the performance is cut short. Afterwards I wonder how I can use my body – conscious and otherwise – without disrupting the performance.

Marina Abramovic

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