2 posts tagged “art”

It's 1:32 am EST, March 31, 2007. I just finished watching "Me and You and Everyone We Know". If you haven't seen it, and for any reason are reading my blog, you might enjoy watching it. It was a strange experience. I felt for people I didn't really understand, and ultimately had to conclude that the feelings I was having were situational. This struck me as odd, especially when the situations were expressed in such a way that you were left with the rationalization that everyone is crazy. Brilliant, if it was intentional. (I'm crazy, if it wasn't.) So, do I have any evidence to believe it was? Well, the shots themselves were coordinated so effectively that I am persuaded to say that it is. For example, as the shoe salesman (Richard Swersey) and video artist (Christine Jesperson), played by writer/director/lead Miranda July, are walking along a theatrical block discussing their hypo-metaphorical relationship, when they delve into their "in the moment" actual relationship, you are deceived to think that cinematic time slows, only to watch the car (from the corner of your eye of course) slow because of a trailing police cruiser. I was hooked. I certainly did not catch every little piece of savoir-Flare stuck all throughout this movie, but I was comforted by an appreciation of fresh artistic merit. I was also warmed by the casual and sincere pace throughout the entire show. Who are you cheering for, and why? Good questions.

I began thinking that I should write more, and not just poetry or stream of consciousness writing, but actually good writing. (Hah. Okay, so I think my poetry and stream of conscious are a somewhat ... Hmm.) I am thinking of the sort of writing you would be graded on in school or college. I haven't written a paper on anything interesting in two years. I used to imagine there was a correct answer that if I approached it deeply enough I could uproot the meaning and essence and bathe in it triumphantly. That's not exactly how things went, and that may be a short amount of time ago; still, I can imagine a situation where I would not write such a paper for another 3 years. If I were to write, however, I would like it to be on pieces of artistic merit in the 21st century. I believe "Me and You and Everyone We Know" as well as "i heart huckabees" have inspired such a switch in intellectual hobbies in me. The only problem is I would have to plan time to travel and visit galleries or keep up to date on present day works of contemporary art. I doubt I will begin such an endeavor unless surreptitiously, which appears to be impossible. So, It's not ever-lasting, but I will content myself presently with the wonderful time spent watching what I can. Macaroni.

(It's strange that "March is National Women's History Month.  What women are making history today?" is the question of the day on Vox.com for March 31. March ends tomorrow; I guess someone is trying to be sneaky and/or inspirational. Excellent. Doubtful I'd remember Miranda July, but I really love her name and what it touches right now. I'll also admit that she's somewhat inspirational, but someone might find it to be too awkward.)

What magazines do you subscribe to, and why?

I (will) subscribe to Adbusters magazine. It's a current affairs / social issues magazine that displays photographs, poetry, op-eds, faux advertisements, and other zine art activist content. Their pitch for the subscription reads:

Adbusters magazine is just one part of a global network of 85,000 social activists, educators, writers and artists all working together to bring about tangible, positive change. Through real-world cmpaigns lik Buy Nothing Day, Antipreneur, True Cost Economics and TV Turnoff, we aim to change the way information flows and the way we live in the 21st century.

It's a bimonthly distribution that I found at the University of Connecticut bookstore. I was looking for an alternative magazine to sit in the bathroom; the status quo was my housemates Maxim and Stuff magazine with an occasional Entertainment Weekly thrown in by the girlfriend of one of them. Strangely enough, this magazine doesn't offend the Maxim and Stuff crowd, despite its own particular offense with the pop-media. In fact, they don't run any advertisements other than an ad for blackspot shoes. Check out the ad yourself and see why. Their discussions and exposé typically engage the reader, and whether or not you agree with them, it brings social issues and concerns to mind.

I really like the coverage on the explotation of women and consumers as well as the general mission to detoxify the mental environment. Free thought, no matter where it leads, will be quicker and more stable than that governed by profits and insecurities.  Check it out.