Ad Astra (1907) by Akseli Gallen-Kallela.
• Andres Serrano’s works are photo prints so you can’t damage an exhibition item the way you can with a painting. That didn’t stop Catholic protestors in France attacking a copy of Piss Christ on Monday. By coincidence, Dave Maier had posted an essay about Serrano’s work a few hours earlier, and with a reminder that the notorious photograph was part of a series, a detail which is often forgotten or conveniently ignored.
• The Avant Garde Project which made available deleted experimental audio works (see this earlier post) ceased activity a while ago so it’s good to see that its archives will now be hosted at Ubuweb.
…African Head Charge again was a studio name I had to start with, and it evolved into a band about eight years later. That started out again I read an interview in a newspaper where Brian Eno talked about he’d made an album called My Life in the Bush of Ghosts with another musician—that Talking Heads fellow [David Byrne]—and he said “I had a vision of a psychedelic Africa”. And I thought, “Oh, that’s pretentious”. But then I thought about it, and thought “No, what a good idea! Make really trippy African dub”.
Adrian Sherwood on thirty years of On-U Sound.
• Related: Brian Eno has a new album out in July, Drums Between The Bells, a collaboration with Rick Holland.
“Do you think Lord Leighton could by any chance have been a homosexual?” enquired Richard. “It says here,” I replied, consulting a laminated information card, “that there is no evidence one way or the other.”
“Rent boys leave no evidence,” said Richard.
A private view of Lord Leighton’s home in Holland Park, London, which opened to the public again last year.
• Passengers, an exhibition of urban transit photos by Chris Marker at Peter Blum, NYC. For a different kind of rail transport there’s this exploration of London’s disused underground Post Office Railway.
• Reappraising the recent past: Jon Savage on Taxi zum Klo, Christiane F, David Bowie and the seedy attraction of Berlin in the 70s and 80s; Iain Sinclair on the Festival of Britain sixty years on.
• Stella Steyn’s illustrations for Finnegans Wake as seen in transition magazine, 1929. And speaking of literary magazines, the return of New Worlds has been announced.
• Clive Hicks-Jenkins is an art monograph published next month by Lund Humphries. Clive enthused about the book’s arrival.
• 50 Watts announces the Polish Book Cover Contest.
• 4th June, 2011 is Radiophonic Creation Day.
• Americans: has your state banned sodomy?
• Stardust (1931) by Louis Armstrong | Stardust (1940) by Artie Shaw | Stardust (1957) by Nat King Cole.
Taxi zum Klo! Now that brings back memories!
As for the American post; Idaho, Utah, and Montana are states I can certainly see this being so in, which is unfortunate, because they are very beautiful. Virginia and the Carolinas I can also see this being the case in, though its no real loss there, as I’ve never met anyone who really wanted to go to any of those places for vacation besides the occasional Appalacian hiker. Again no loss for them either since most people I know who take long walks don’t get laid very often, no effrontery intended to those concerned, I happen to be a long-walk-taker.
I’ve never met anyone who visited Kansas or Oklahoma and ended up making permanent residence at either state, I’d say they suffer from domestic brain-drain more so than most places. What else could account for a Historical Museum dedicated to Intelligent Design.
Louisiana really puzzles the hell out of me though. Granted New Orleans is the main attraction, maybe the rest of the state just sucks by comparison. Though the Cypress swamps are quite lovely, I guess between the reed congested waters, alligators, and mosquitoes, the surrounding countryside isn’t particularly conducive to love or lust of any variety.
Thom: I’ve known about Taxi zum Klo for years but never seen it. That post makes me think I ought to remedy this.
Wiley: Considering the amount of hysteria in the US around gay rights and sex in general I was surprised there weren’t more states with a sodomy ban, it’s one of those issues few lawmakers would want to propose removing. I have a friend in NC so the Carolinas aren’t all that bad, although one person obviously doesn’t redeem an entire state!
I was once courted by a charming older gentleman from Virginia who was living openly. Obviously a very courageous fellow.
I know Wiley is only (half) joking , but we should remember that all of those states with anti sodomy laws will have thousands of young gay people trying to come to terms with themselves. Jumping on the bus to San Francisco isnt always an option, im sure.