Art, Poetry, and Hot Stuff
#142: My art at Old Capitol Books, Martin Edmond, Sal Randolph (on Felix Gonzalez-Torres), Mai Ryuno, Scott Simon, Georges Melie, Sama' Abdulhadi, and Hayley Reinhardt.
HERE & NOW
Hey, I’m wiped out after a busy week, so this section of EO will be brief.
ART
I’m a featured artist at Old Capitol Books for another week or two. Stop by and take a look and buy some art! And while you’re there, browse their amazing selection of books. Old Capitol Books also holds writing workshops, discussion groups, and other events, so it’s worthwhile to check out their calendar.
I’m writing this just two hours before the second night of their Monterey Poetry Festival featuring Brian Sheffield, Jeff Erwin, Chris Carr, Heather Flescher and others. Readings start at 6pm. Last I heard, tickets are still available at the door; if you come before start time they might squeeze you in.
RABBIT HOLE
Via author Martin Edmond (posted in Facebook), this is a short, silent drama in the French surreal style: “Sunday Afternoon” (1977). Shot over the period of a day in the Winter Gardens in Auckland by Leon Narbey. Cast: Alan Brunton, Sally Rodwell, Deborah Hunt, and Martin Edmond.
Check out Sal Randolph’s reflection on artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ poetic installation “Loverboy” in The Uses of Art.
Mai Ryuno pushes her own artistic and physical limits and consumes a raw jalapeno pepper (surprise at the end):
Scott Simon (NPR) discusses and advocates for Open Wall nights in museums. He’s responding to a recent article about an art museum employee who was fired for having the temerity to hang his own art work, guerrilla style, on a wall at the Munich Art Museum.1
SOUNDINGS
Four Troublesome Heads by Georges Melies, with guitar and banjo accompaniment by Emily O’Hara:
A while ago, I posted a video of Sama’ Abdulhadi’s Boiler Room debut in Palestine. Since that video was made, her reputation as a hard-hitting DJ has blown up. Below, a portrait of Palestinian “techno queen” Sama’ Abdulhadi:
“It was more of running away from politics, in the beginning. But then when I became a DJ international and then when it started becoming this . . . I started getting a lot of invites from Israel—that’s I went into political talks. Because that’s when it started like, I need to explain to them why music is not the solution for occupation. You’re talking about me and you and DJs becoming cool with each other—but you have 2 million people in Gaza sieged since 2000—what’re you going to do about that? Are you gonna bring down the wall, and let them…walk in Tel Aviv? Are you going to bring down this wall that you have separating us . . . ?”
In issue #139, I posted Pomplamoose’s version of “Seven Nation Army” (Jack White/White Stripes), a garage-rock revival song that’s become a soccer-stadium anthem. But it’s interesting how songs can change genre when covered by different artists. Here’s a “New Orleans dirge” version by Haley Reinhardt, employing vocal growls and other “hot” effects that Mae West would heartily approve of:
Got this out way before midnight.
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San Jose’s Institute of Contemporary Art has done this, but allowed the art to be on display for longer periods.