Saturday, February 27, 2010
Miguel Bose- Amante Bandido (1984)
Miguel Bose was one of my idols when I was a teen-ager. This is a vintage video for his hit song "Amante Bandido." I remember vividly seeing him on Spanish TV performing in a kimono. This was in the early 1980s. Spain was still emerging from the genocidal dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and in the midst of political turmoil and a yearning on the part of many to make up for lost time and undo decades of repression. In 1977 there was an Amnesty Law, guaranteeing impunity under the guise of reconciliation. On Feb. 23, 1981 there was a failed military coup that was motivated by a desire to return things to the ways they were under Franco and had, according to many, the effect of traumatizing many even more and intimidating those who wanted to shed light on former crimes against the Spanish people. To this day, extreme right-wing groups, many comprising people in the Popular Democratic Party, hold large homophobic demonstrations. At the same time, Spain has been at the forefront in the legalization of gay marriage and transgender rights.
In any case, in the early 1980s, for Bose to perform in what is basically drag was revolutionary. Such gender-bending was of course also promoted by others, including the young Almodovar and in literature by the brilliant Terenci Moix. The subtext in this song's lyrics is intense. There is a part where he sings "Yo sere un hombre por ti, renunciare a ser lo que fui," which means I will be a man for you, I will renounce what I was before." Also, he goes from repressed nerd to brave guerrilla (perhaps I am over-analyzing but until the 1950s guerrillas fought against Franco) and in a third persona, embodies an androgynous satyr, who brings sexuality to the forefront. I love this video!!!!
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, Francisco de Goya
During one of his interminable cadenas, Hugo Chavez loses power - verbal propaganda clashes with actual conditions in Venezuela. Ironic. Of course, one of the few things I share with him is my distaste for former President Bush. But for me , allegedly left-wing dictators and right-wing leaders with dictatorial aspirations are equally to be condemned.
Separated at Birth?
Lovely and beautifully styled Chinese Crested at the Westminster Dog Show and Tamra from Real Housewives of Orange County
Iconic Fashion Editor Gets an Alex Katz Portrait (Thanks M.)
"Anna Wintour", 2009, by Alex Katz. ©Alex Katz. Courtesy: Timothy Taylor Gallery.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Pierre Menard Author of the Hot Tub
cultural melting bath: project for the 20th century 1997.18 taihu rocks, hot tub with hydrotherapy jets, bathwater infused with herbs, and pine trees
collection of fonds national d'art contemporain
photo by hiro ihara courtesy cai studio
This goes to show that Borges as always was right. I have this hobby that entails making up fake artworks by known artists. As we know, those that cannot make art, teach art history. This is part of the explanation. When my genius recovering art historian friend read my recent description of my fantasy Tino Seghal intervention to create a hybrid relational aesthetics slash CAA panel he reminded me that the relational aesthetics work involving people chatting in a hot tub had already been done! Above, documentation of Chinese art star Cai Guo Quiang's Cultural Melting Bath.
My panel proposal abstract reads like this:
Tino Seghal: Relational Aesthetics in the Hot Tub.Abstract: Envisioned as a space of sociability, the hot tub is a classic locus of exchange. In this panel, we invite artists, art historians, and museum workers to submit topics for conversation in this platform for experimental thought.
Originality is dead! Did I not read Benjamin, or Robbe-Grillet? Woe is me. Always arriving to the hot tub. Too late. And anyway, if we are going to keep to art historical chronology, we have Cai and then The Jersey Shore as relational art works employing the hot tub....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
