Sunday, May 10, 2009

Feminist Video at the Brooklyn Museum

What is it about video art? It is concept heavy to me. Yes, there is wit. But after I get the idea, I feel as if I have been lectured a bit. Am I the audience or is it clueless men?

Kate Gilmore (American, b. 1975). Still from Blood from a Stone, 2009. Mixed-media sculpture with video, color, sound, 8 min. 9 sec. Courtesy of the artist and Smith-Stewart, New York

Kate Gilmore's lifting the big blocks of white and placing them just so on the ledge has a repetition and monotony broken by the white paint that bleeds down in irregular vertical lengths.

The weed whacker wears a nice dress and shoes as she clears a patch of grass too big for that tool.



Harry Dodge (American, b. 1966) and Stanya Kahn (American, b. 1968). Still from Whacker, 2005. Video, color, sound, 7 min. 7 sec. Courtesy of the artists and Elizabeth Dee, New York

Also saw the Dinner Party, and studied some of the exhibits that accompany it. Again, it is intended to teach a lesson. I guess we need the lesson, but I prefer my art without pedantry.

The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago

Sunday, May 3, 2009

PEN World Voices Cabaret

Walter Mosley began with an excerpt from The Long Fall.

Nick Laird read from his poetry books, To a Fault and On Purpose. He was self effasive and charming. He referred to a John Berryman poem as being written 35 years earlier that was better than his poem.

Horacio Castellanos Moya read from his novel in Spanish. The excerpt said that he was not completely in his mind having hired himself out to the Catholic Church to translate a document responsible for many of the troubles he was then in. A drummer accompanied him. A translator read in English.

Steve Connell and Sekou the Misfit did a duo slam rap.

Parker Posey and other acting notables did a performance of the New York State segment from State by State edited by Sean Wilsey.

And of course, Lou Reed whose Metal Music Machine is his focus now to the point where he is almost unable to articulate anything in words, had Laurie Anderson with him. Anderson's performance of "Only an Expert" was powerful.




PEN World Voices Festival