Art as Authority

"Bagged" (detail) - May-ling Martinez
(photo: May-ling Martinez)


I thought it apropos to have Edwin Decker, writer, performance artist, and homme extrordinaire, honor the virtual pages of Art as Authority - which he so graciously accepted to do - notably, for his award winning performance at the California Center for the Arts Escondido Performance Slam, and his text spoken that night, which can be found in its entirety below.

I wanted to post Ed's piece for its humorous and satirical take on the "Innocence is Questionable" exhibit at the CCA, but also because it conveniently fell inline with my own sentiments - and I mean exactly. Besides, if you don't show up for the party that was planned and given in your honor - uh, that would be the artists in the exhibit - you never hear what good was said about you. It is unfortunate for them but great for Ed, and wonderful for us. Thanks Ed, stop by anytime. kf

HE name of this exhibit is, “Innocence is Questionable,” about which, the brochure says, “Ultimately, what each of these artists question is whether or not the folly of the world is the responsibility of man?”

It’s a synopsis which makes me wonder, how does a great artist illustrate the subjects he or she finds “questionable”?

I look at these paintings and I see the man-made uglies of this urban life made beautiful: The mall escalator, the casino, the toilet in the desert, even the depiction of Best Buy, so bounteous, and blue, and expansive that it becomes a planet unto itself; making me instantly understand that I need another flat screen TV – you know – for the bathroom.

Continue reading "I'm just sayin' - Edwin Decker" »

Spun by Art as Authority at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories.
-- Arthur C. Clarke

Image of Arthur C. Clarke by Charles Adams, Science &
Society Picture Library, London


There's definitely a part of my adolescence ending with the passing of Arthur C. Clarke today, a mere 90 years of age, such a great loss. I read "Childhood's End" by Clarke in high school, Soquel High (Santa Cruz), English 1B, a class obliged upon those of us who did not fair well enough on the english proficiency exam to be part of English 1A nor in the company of grand literature and scholars. I found myself in a class with other "literary dropouts" that had no desks and only beanbag chairs, a worn out couch and a whole wall of bookshelves heaving with nothing but Science Fiction on them. I thank the stars to this day, and often enough to realize that on that one percise moment in flunking english, I had the opportunity of a lifetime and a whole universe of discovery before me yearning to be read, written by Gods the likes of Clarke, Heinlen, Bradbury, Asimov, Herbert, Vonnegut and many many more for wanderlust mortals like myself. Thank you.

You will be missed.

Spun by Art as Authority at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SEVEN DADA MANIFESTOS and LAMPISTERIES - Tristan Tzara
Calder Publications - Riverrun Press - London Paris New York - Fourth Impression, 1992, p. 49.
www.calderpublications.com


I sleep very late. I commit suicide at 65%. My life is very cheap, it's
only 30% of life for me. My life has 30% of life. It lacks arms,
strings and a few buttons. 5% is devoted to a state of semi-lucid
stupor accompanied by anaemic crackling. This 5% is called
DADA. So life is cheap. Death is a bit more expensive. But life is
charming and death is equally charming.
A few days ago I was at a meeting of imbeciles. There were a lot of
people there. Everyone was charming. Tristan Tzara, a small,
absurd and insignificant individual was giving a lecture on the art of
becoming charming. He was charming, at that. Everyone is
charming. And witty. It's delightful, isn't it? Everyone is delightful,
at that. 9 degrees below zero. It's charming, isn't it? No, it isn't
charming. God isn't up to it. He isn't even in the directory. But
even so he's charming.
Ambassadors, poets, counts, princes, musicians, journalists, actors,
writers, diplomats, directors, dressmakers, socialists, princesses
and baronesses are charming.
You're all of you charming, very subtle, witty and delightful.
Tristan Tzara says to you: he's quite willing to do something else,
but he prefers to remain an idiot, a practical joker and a hoaxer. Be
sincere for a moment: what I've just said to you - is it charming
or idiotic?

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Mr & Mrs Abel J. Freitas


TEXTILE - IN THREE PARTS

Part I

Individual memories roll past your eyes like a slow moving freight train. Slow enough to recognize each one and too fast to know what they were about. The weight of their experiences, joys, and regrets are now solidified and unchanging as they thump thump, click clack in some relentless procession, a universal cadence of drums sounding, announcing an end that always comes. And then vanishes. Down the line, a stitch in time.

Continue reading "Textile - in three parts" »

Spun by Art as Authority at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

from La Nuit Remue, Editions Gallimard,1967 Image: Jean Dubuffet
"Monsieur Plume plis au pantalon" (Portrait d'Henri Michaux),1947 - Collection Tate Gallery London




Dans le chant de ma colère il y a un oeuf,
Et dans cet oeuf il y a ma mère, mon père et
mes enfants,
Et dans ce tout il y a joie et tristesse mêlées, et
vie.
Grosses tempêtes qui m'avez secouru,
Beau soleil qui m'as contrecarré,
Il y a haine en moi, forte et de date ancienne,
Et pour la beauté on verra plus tard.
Je ne suis, en effet, devenu dur que par lamelles;
Si l'on savait comme je suis resté moelleux au
fond.
Je suis gong et ouate et chant neigeux,
Je le dis et j'en suis sûr.

Spun by Art as Authority at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Combien faut-il de fois secouer mes grelots
Et baiser ton front bas, morne caricature?
Pour piquer dans le but, de mystique nature,
Combien, ô mon carquois, perdre de javelots?

Nous serons notre âme en de subtils complots,
Et nous démolirons mainte lourde armature,
Avant de contempler la grande Créature
Dont l'infernal désir nous remplit de sanglots!

Il en est qui jamais n'ont connu leur Idole,
Et ces sculpteurs damnés et marqués d'un affront,
Qui vont se martelant la poitrine et le front,

N'ont qu'un espoir, étrange et sombre Capitole!
C'est que la Mort, planant comme un soleil nouveau,
Fera s'épanouir les fleurs de leur cerveau!

Charles Baudelaire

Spun by Art as Authority at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

SPARKLING, SUMMER
(from my collection, FOURTH CUSHION ON THE SOFA OF PLEASURE)

Continue reading "Poésie part III" »

Spun by Art as Authority at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

« Fréquenter les incorporels »

Ce titre énigmatique qui semble évoquer quelque ectoplasme tout droit sorti d’une imagination chimérique, ne doit pas masquer le propos dévoilé par le sous-titre : « contribution à une théorie de l’art contemporain ». Mais quel intérêt, me diriez-vous, de lire cette nième contribution qui risque tout au plus d’embrouiller nos pauvres idées sur l’art actuel ? Tout n’a-il pas déjà été dit ? Je voudrais vous faire partager l’intérêt que j’ai eu à lire l’essai récent d’Anne Cauquelin, paru au printemps dernier. Il n’est jamais évident d’évoquer le vide, le rien, l’inexprimable. Pourtant, force est de constater que dans l’art contemporain ces notions traversent, et même fondent certaines fois nombre de pratiques actuelles, laissant le public dans un désarroi absolu. L’implicite des critiques qui tente d’évoquer ces tendances entretient souvent un flou confortable autour de ces notions.

Continue reading "Review - "Fréquenter les incorporels" - Anne Cauquelin" »

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A RECOMMENDATION BY:

À lire pour le plaisir.

Quand il est question de peinture, l’attention se tourne vers les expositions et les musées, aller à la rencontre de l’œuvre. Lire aussi. Les ouvrages théoriques, les catalogues et les critiques participent de l’univers de l’amateur.

Continue reading "À lire - "Clara et la pénombre"" »

Spun by Art as Authority at 10:19 AM | Permalink

NIGHTS IN RED SATCHEL

Continue reading "Poésie part II" »

Spun by Art as Authority at 06:12 PM | Permalink

hi. it's me. maura vazakas. artist, pianist, poet, and writer....whew.... oh, and former new yorker, i mean i grew up there from birth to 22 years - you know the formative ones, lasting impression ones - the best years of my life ones - i kinda still have an accent.
i live to paint and to explore the fundamentals of creativity. i like things that challenge the mind. i'm at my best in the studio, listening to classical music (hands down, prokofiev is my fave. next in line is rachmaninov followed very closely by mr. genius himself, tchaikovsky. funny, they are all russian composers - i'm 1/4 russian), and creating. my paintings have been shown in galleries and museums in san diego, scottsdale, san francisco, los angeles, chicago, dallas and boston. i began drawing at an early age, inspired by my artist mother. museums and galleries of new york were frequent weekend visits, checking out favorite artists such as dali, picasso, and hans hal. i soaked up everything. life was exciting. i pursued a career in music, attending the juillard school and going on to get a masters in piano performance. but my love of art always reigned. in recent years i have written poetry and started on 3 novels. i love reading nabakov, updike, and capote.

i also love architecture. interesting buildings, old ones. history. which brings me to my next point, and i welcome feedback form you guys out there in computer land. i am concerned about how this country tears down old buildings, replacing them with new ones, leveling old barns to build monstrous malls. where is our history, our
heritage going? mozart's cafe in salzburg (he recently celebrated his 250th birthday) is still in existence. the cathedral, where he played organ and conducted his music, is still standing. i am tired of history being lost forever.

i guess that's about it.....oh yeah, i have a website mauravazakas.com check
it out!

Maura also has a dog that plays the piano... K.F.

Continue reading "Poésie" »

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