blogs, links, events and art from the teens behind ►

11/13

“Oshima presents a gritty view of Japan’s underworld with a broad swipe at the image of Japan as the “land of the rising sun.” Two gangs-vie to control the black market, prostitution, and other dirty dealings in an Osaka market slum.” On new 35mm print, 87 minutes of my life went by watching this film, which was made in 1960. Yes, entertaining and very interesting… extremely well-done. But, if only I had gotten more then 3 hours of sleep the night because nearly an hour an a half of subtitles is a hard thing to handle on no sleep. Oshima made this film in a way that almost requires you to look away at times do to its portrayal of rape and abuse yet you get so into the story that its impossible! This is the only Oshima film I’ve seen but their are four more this week before the lengthly three weeks comes to a conclusion.
I’d recommend you check ‘em out!

Tonight: A Town of Love and Hope with Diary of a Yunbogi Boy at 7:30pm

Tomorrow: In the Realm of the Senses at 7:30pm

Saturday: The Ceremony at 2pm and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence at 7:30pm

Sunday: Diary of a Shinjuku Thief at 2pm

Rumor has it that grammy award winning rapper Jay-Z will be running for mayor of New York in 2009. Although some may roll their eyes at the 38 year old rapper who was apparently inspired by president-elect Barack Obama, I wouldn’t be so quick to pass judgement. As a New York native, Jay-Z teamed up with current Mayor Bloomberg and created a program this past summer called “Summer Streets” to keep young people active. Although this may be a bit of a stretch for the rapper, the idea doesn’t seem out of the question for me. Jay Z has articulated his intellegence over the years as a rapper, producer and founded or “Roc- A -Fella” Recording Company. 

Anyway, the whole rumor made me think of one of his tracks off of his 1996 Album “Reasonable Doubt”. It’s called, “Politics as Usual” … Will his street smarts land him a spot as the mayor of New York?  Only time will tell….

This weekend I went to the Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future exhibit and there was a lot to take in about his work and action shots of Eero and his team of architects working on blueprints. The most interesting work for me however would have to be the Miller house, in Columbus, Indiana. It was just a 1 story residence designed for a businessman named J. Irwin Miller. In the house there were multiple zones designated for children, parents, guests, etc. The living room or,skylit living space, had a “sunken conversation pit,” which consisted of a rectangular pit lined with couches and cushions and a small coffee table in the middle. There was a small stairwell that led down from the ground level. I was very taken with this and would definitely want one in my house, just a bit smaller in size, but either way I could see it being great for functions.

You should really go see the exhibit while it lasts through Jan 4th.

Want to perform at the Walker Art Center?

Seeking musicians (ages 14 – 18) to score films inspired by Andy Warhol. Selected musicians will work with young filmmakers to compose new original works to be performed live during the screening of the film. To enter, please submit your music sample to teenprograms@walkerart.org by Friday, December 12. Call 612.375.7628 for more info.

Every once in awhile I find myself rummaging through the CD bargin bin looking for something that might be worth buying.  This time I hit big while I got the CD ‘Excuse Me’ by Kaboose, a Minnesota native.  I was looking at it and the graphics pulled me into buying it, and after listening I fell in love!!!

Kaboose’s goal in Hip Hop is simple. “My vision for music is to bring a message of hope to people who are blinded from the world. There is a power in music that can fill a person’s heart with joy, but music also has the power to fill a person’s heart with hate and rage. The biggest difference is in the message. Today, there are too many pointless lyrics in hip hop with a hostile message affecting the listener and their perception of themselves and the world.” Kaboose chooses to write and perform with lyrics that will uplift rather than tear down.

A couple of weeks ago, a couple WACTAC members and I had the opportunity to go to a dress rehearsal for Eiko and Koma’s new work titled Hunger. The dress rehearsal intrigued me enough to attend thefull performance on Friday night.  In it’s full form, Hunger stunned the McGuire Theater audience with its heart wrenching, painfully slow movements. Not painful in the way you think however, but more due to the fact that their goal was to portray hunger. Their goal was completed successfully in that every second that went by was symbolic and meaningful.

Jay-Z made American Gangster last November in 1 week, used all samples fromearly 70’s soul albums, P Diddy actually put in some legit work and used real players and added additional horns, came out right after the movie was released and was a big hit. Yeah yeah, but now Shuko and Gunna have taken all Marvin Gaye songs and edited them around the accapella of American Gangster. It’s pretty hot. Check it out, www.jayandmarvin.com

Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests were filmed from early 1964 - November 1966. Subjects would be seated in front of a tripod mounted camera, asked to be as still as possible, and told not to blink while the camera was running. There are a number of Screen Tests that diverge from this format entirely, the sitter purposely moving, gesticulating, or using props. Subjects were lit and filmed by Warhol’s stationary 16mm Bolex camera on silent, black and white, 100-foot rolls of film. Each Screen Test is exactly the same length, lasting only as long as the roll of film. The film is shot at 16 fps and projected at 24 fps The films, projected in slow motion, last four minutes each. More than 500 Screen Tests were made. The subejcts of these screen tests were who Warhol considered some of the up and coming stars of their time. They include Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Edie Sedwick and Alan Ginsberg.

One of the most celebrated architects of his time, Eero Saarinen was also one of the most controversial.  While many critics accused Saarinen of inventing a new style for every job, his diverse and sometimes unabashed theatrical designs attracted many.  One of the more interesting buildings of the Shaping The Future show was the Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Saarinen’s second IBM commission. The building describes a 1,090 foot arc along a ridge, it’s front glazed in reflective glass and it’s entrance marked by a cantilevered concrete canopy and Seymour Lipton’s abstract sculptures.  If that preview doesn’t entice you enough to go to the show, there are also many comfy chairs that you can look at, so go see Eero Saarinen’s Shaping The Future!

Luckily Witt didn’t throw a fit:

During my daily internet trolling I came upon Urban Outfitter’s blog. I didn’t really know stores had the capacity to think independently, but who is this blogging museum to judge? I’ve only been to an Urban Outfitters once, in New York, to warm my hands on a cold day. The idea that everyone in New York is rude is a myth, everyone tend to be really nice, but the reality manifests itself any time you go into a “trendy” store. Think ALife or Supreme. See, the idea in most retail outlets is to be helpful, smile, and make the customer feel comfortable. However, in this bizzaro New York world it seems like the employees of these trendy boutiques exist only to make you feel uncomfortable and inferior.

That’s why I’m glad the folks at Urban Outfitters’ Minneapolis location keep it real and didn’t grow up to be like their New York sibling. In fact, they even shouted us out. So this is me, shouting you out, for shouting us out. Me watching you watch me.

My main man Nico Berry has been a professional baller since the day he was born, or so I hear. Really, by writing this blog I’m trying to legitimize our friendship so that next time I see him he’ll hook me up with a free t-shirt or something.

Nico was the art director over at a little skateboard magazine called Thrasher for a minute, has done countless shirt designs for Timberland, Mecca, Sureshot, Kid Robot, etc. etc. The release of his vinyl toy had lines around the block in New York, and you know New York keeps it real, nawhaddI’msayin kid?

Read the rest »

Tomorrow, director Lance Hammer will be screening his new film Ballast.  WACTAC and filmmakers that particpated in last weekend’s All City Youth Film Showcase will get the special opportunity of meeting and talking with him - we are totally excited! There will be a public screening on Wednesday at 7:30 PM at the Walker.

Another upcoming film event that we are looking forward to is a screening of I’m Not There. The film revolves around the life of Bob Dylan and consists of an all star line up - Cate Blanchett, in an Academy-Award nominated performance, and Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and the recently deceased Heath Ledger. If you needed more reason to go, the film will be accompanied by legendary rock critic Greil Marcus! Marcus is the author of Lipstick Traces (a book that traces the interesction of pop culture and high art through the lens of the Sex Pistols) and Mystery Train (brilliant study of rock’n'roll and American culture).

If you are a high school student and want to go email us at teenprograms@walkerart.org for special discounted tickets.

Not to be confused with the yet to evolve Ponyta, the pony tail is a hair term. Well, I guess it is also and animal term.

The ponytail is a simple and easy way to make your hair look good, and, gosh darnit, stay out of your eyes. I wanted to learn more about ponytails, so I turned to the smartest man in the universe, Charles Wikipedia III. Here’s what it had to say:

“In the late 1980s, a short ponytail was seen as an edgy, “in-your-face” look for men who wanted to stand out from the crowd while keeping most of their hair flat and functional. Steven Seagal’s ponytail in “Marked for Death” is an example of such.”

Woah! I completely forgot how badass Steven Seagal did look with a short ponytail. How embarassing would it be to get your ass handed to you on a shiny platter of fists by a slightly large man in a pony tail that looks like he might spend his off time learning the bar chords to the old Star Trek theme? You have to be a man to embody that look… And the only way you can become that kind of a man is to rock a PONYTAIL!!!

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Emmanuel, I read you loud and clear, but I want to stand out from the crowd.”

Read the rest »

So I’ve been on a bit of a music hunt lately and somewhere within that I found it necessary to post a blog about the treasures I discovered.

1.Nrrrd Grrrl- MC Chris

I wish my rhymes were this clever.

2.The Devils Music- Hospital Bombers

Irony is always entertaining.

3.Electric Feel- MGMT

Definitely has a cool disco-y vibe. Think along the lines of the Scissor Sisters.

4.Electric Feel (MGMT Cover)- Katy Perry

So typically I’m not a huge Katy Perry fan, but this song has a completely different sound than the Katy Perry I’ve known. Acoustic and very raw sounding. Not to mention that it sounds especially cool if you listen to the original song first.

5.Wishful Thinking- The Ditty Bops

Very bubbly folk rock. I’m a big fan of simple lyrics.

6.Astronaut: A Short History Of Nearly Nothing- Amanda Palmer

If you are not already familiar with Amanda Palmer or the Dresden Dolls then I advise you to dash over to your nearest cd supplier and purchase as many albums of these glorious folks as possible. These lyrics are incredibly clever, the piano incredibly raw and the vocals incredily sharp.

7.Paper Planes (M.I.A cover)- Panda Riot

Imagine the original Paper Planes dipped in honey and covered with daisies. Voila.

Check ‘em out

Links for listening-

Nrrrd Grrrl- MC Chris

The Devil’s Music- Hospital Bombers

Electric Feel- MGMT

Electric Feel (MGMT Cover)- Katy Perry

Wishful Thinking- The Ditty Bops

Astronaut: A Short History Of Nearly Nothing

Paper Planes (M.I.A cover)- Panda Riot

Also, sleep is good for you, don’t stay up until 1:30 wasting time and writing blogs.

Tetsumi Kudo: not as conventional as he looks.

At the risk of sounding trite, Tetsumi Kudo is one dope dude. In the Walker’s exhibition “Tetsumi Kudo: Garden of Metamorphosis” (October 18, 2008 - March 22, 2009) I saw, what in my mind is true contemporary art. In describing Kudo’s work, a lot of different words come to mind- abstract, simple, complex, revolting, alluring, inspiring, incongruous. The exhibition is undoubtedly one of the most interesting solo artist shows I’ve seen at the walker, displaying a variety of objects, sculpture, installation, drawing, and painting—covering the entire path of his career, from the late 1950s through the late 1980s.

Some of my favorite pieces within the exhibit were the birdcages, the cocoons, the room full of penises, the photos from his giant installation a penis carved into the side of a rockface, the walk in box filled with blacklights and neon flowers, and the many other components that’s made you ask yourself, “What the hell?”

There is footage of Kudo 40 or so years ago with some friends explaining that in 20 years the penises in his work will not be seen as penises, but simply as symbols. As insightful and thought provoking such an ideology is, they still look like penises.

Go see this exhibit and spend some time to take it all in. Just don’t plan a meal right afterwards.

The first meeting for WACTAC’s new program, STREAM, is this Tuesday at 4:30 PM at the Teen Programs office at the Walker Art Center. If you are interested please come on down, you’re the next contestant on the Price is Right… Sorry, that was just something I’ve always wanted to say, or type…

Read the rest »

John Nouanesing is a young French architect making a big name for himself designing tables and chairs (among other things) inspired by pop culture, or really simple and well executed ideas. These include tables that mirror folding paper, or dripping paint. He even created a window frame and shade system designed to mirror Microsoft Windows. I personally would murder about a half dozen people if it guaranteed me a drip table.

I’m no expert on the subject, but my girlfriend recently told me about this 21st century street-art incarnation of the centuries old art of knitting and crocheting, YARN BOMBING. If you are familiar with graffiti slang, bombing is essentially the act of doing graffiti (usually throw ups, tags, straight letters, hollows… you know, the fast, destructive stuff…) Well, groups of young ladies (and perhaps gents) around the country and internationally have adopted the graffiti mantra and started bombing… with yarn. These usually pre-made knitted or crotcheted pieces are secretly adhered to public locations, and newly decorated bus benches, bike racks and the like are the result. I thought it was a cool way to combine a very traditional (and perhaps conventional) artform with the ever growing “street art” movement.

Every so often we like to take a survey of our readers to see what you think. Our last survey was in March of 2007, so it’s time for a new one. The questions are focused on the blogs and a little demographic information, which you can skip if you like.

We’re sweetening the deal this time. If you take the survey, you can enter your name into the pool and we’ll select one person to win a 1GB iPod Shuffle.

Take the survey.

Photo by bluetsunami.

Halloween is my favorite holiday. There is something about being able to scare little children without repercussions that makes me feel so good. If you were to look at my slew of homemade costumes and Halloween decorations you might think that I owned my own special effects shop. I don’t, I’m just an overly enthusiastic creep. But that is why we celebrate Halloween, so all the people like me can get it out of their system and hopefully don’t start dressing like celebrities and offering children candy on a regular basis.

Read the rest »

So tonight I saw Deerhoof at first ave. Pretty awesome to say the least. What really impressed me however, was one of the opening bands that performed. AU was really frickin awesome.

These two guys come up on stage, one of them has long straggly kinda hair, and they both look pretty down to earth. They plop themselves down at the respective keyboard and drumset. The first song is interesting, the synth is set up to sound like a genuine grand piano. The music is okay. As the first song fades out, there is a smattering of applause. The second song begins slowly, but builds up layer upon layer, not in an overpowering way though. The drums are amazing, and the remainder of their set builds up to one epic finale- a song called “death.” This song integrates so many moods and emotions that it’s pretty hard to describe. The calm beginning is overpowered by a neverending, but amazing drum solo, which ends with both guys standing up and pounding on their instruments with seemingly all the energy left in their bodies. A final thud of the drums, and we all begin to applaud. False alarm. The song has a few trick endings, and seems to end on a more monumental scale each time. The guys clearly have fun, they integrate awesome bells, and the drum solo seemed to even impress the keyboardist. He tried to butt in with his synth a few times, before shaking his head ruefully as another cymbal crash interrupted him. I decided that these guys are going to play at my wedding. 

Deerhoof was awesome too of course. I love singer Satomi Matsuzaki’s adorable hand gestures as she sings,

and the music got everyone (even utterly sleep deprived me) to get at least their feet tapping.
Read the rest »