Saturday, September 25, 2010

Dear New York,

Save the Date: October 21, 2010

Not only is this day a mere 3 days after my "23rd" birthday, but it is also the date that sees the touring program 'What Is Life Without The Living?' screened at the Lower East Side destination NP Contemporary Art Center (formerly Envoy Enterprises) (131 Chrystie Street). The program has gained some components as it's traveled. For instance, my introduction has become longer. But on the plus side, the SF screening expanded with the hilarious piece (see below) from Kevin Killian to contextualize the Margot Kidder film. If youtube isn't enough, we'll go ahead and screen that before the program. "A special introductory message by author and critic Kevin Killian."

What Is Life Without The Living?

David Scheid, Margot Kidder 2005, 13 min, video

Luther Price, A 1995, 60 min, B&W and Color Super8mm (screened on DVD)

Thursday, October 21, 2010. 8pm

Envoy Enterprises

131 Chrystie Street

(Gabbin with Margaret Tedesco of [2nd Floor] Projects)(the great Kevin Killian)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

California Adventures!

So excited about the upcoming San Francisco screening of What Is Life Without The Living at Artists' Television Access in the Mission. The first screening was smashing and people really took to the films. I'm sure San Francisco will be no exception! I've teamed up with local legend Kevin Killian who has written this great piece to coincide with the screening of David Scheid's 'Margot Kidder.' You can see the vid below:

I have a nice ghostly image from the LA screening with more sumptuous images to come (once I find that damn cable in my post-travel lull). In other news, the X-TRA launch that preceded 'What Is Life Without The Living?' went beyond my wildest dreams. It was a wonderful family affair with D's friend Zoe Crosher presenting source material for the artist project contained within the current issue - footage that was edited by my dear friend Jason Underhill. Also in attendance were Mandrake co-owner and feted artist Vishal Jugdeo (on whom I have a more than mild crush) tending bar and, oh, a good 60-or-so others.

We missed out on much of the gallery scene in LA as everyone was on install for the upcoming (now past) weekend. In San Francisco, we were able to check in with Kevin K and Dodie Bellamy at the indefatigable Margaret Tedesco's local institution [2nd Floor Projects], where Kevin was presenting an edition he wrote for the artist Bruno Fazzolari. We met some lovely folks. Then I drank a few too many g&ts and tried to impress some friends at the Phone Booth with my own, unique take on Left Eye's rap from 'No Scrubs.' Oh dear. A slightly more debilitated self was toured through the San Francisco Art and Design mall the following day by Lauren Marsden for her piece in a rotating exhibition curated by Chris Fitzpatrick and the Post Brothers. Marsden's piece "With Love from Mabel (ongoing tours of the SFADM)" was performative, and led D to lean over and expound in a whisper "I feel like we're being led through Last Year At Marienbad," (i.e. not the worst place to be trapped). I bought a postcard of Dolores Del Rio, but really coveted this way overprice original poster for Curt McDowell's Thundercrack!

Last night Kevin whisked me off to the swanky book-launch/fete for the release of Secret Historian a biography of Samuel Steward where I met Christopher A Trout who just penned a nice article on Steward for Butt. After waxing lyrically about Steward (a subject of whom I sadly knew very little), narcissism and the Wachowski brother/sister's new gay Iraqi love story, Cobalt Neural 9, I begged off to go shoot the above video.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

WHAT IS LIFE WITHOUT THE LIVING?

*Updated*(something of an update whilst I'm being boring in Spain. There are a few upcoming events of note. Two screenings to be held in LA in mid-September, one (September 12th) of the Ludlam films 'Museum of Wax' and 'Gooseflesh' at the X-TRA launch event and the following day (September 13th) I will screen from a program I've devised entitled 'What is Life without the Living?' WILWTL will see a San Francisco screening co-hosted by the wondrous writer Kevin Killian at Artists Television Access on September 23rd with a New York screening Envoy Enterprises in October! Keep checking in, dear reader...)

WHAT IS LIFE WITHOUT THE LIVING?

Monday September 13, 8:00 – 10:00pm
Mandrake Bar 2692 S La Cienega Ave LA, CA 90034

Thursday, September 23, 8:00 - 10:00
Artists Television Access 992 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110

Program:
David Scheid, Margot Kidder 2005, 13 min, video
Luther Price, A 1995, 60 min, B&W and Color Super8mm (screened on DVD)
This Los Angeles screening is free (in SF a mere $6) and will be accompanied by a complimentary publication of images, illustrations, an essay, and artist writings.

The program title misremembers the opening lyric to the theme to Imitation of Life. The tune hauntingly floods Luther Price’s A (1995). Alongside David Scheid’s video, Margot Kidder (2005), these works reconstruct Hollywood from a space of queer fantasy, creating private narratives from popular fiction. The event is curated by moving-image scholar Bradford Nordeen.

Named one of the top-20 living avant-garde filmmakers in Film Comment’s recent poling, Boston-based super-8 filmmaker Luther Price has been frequently likened to Jack Smith, Karen Finley and Matthew Barney for his raw, visceral cinema. In 'A' Price concocted the most narrative tale of his 25-year career: a cyclical feature in which a faded starlet (Edie) courts suitor after suitor and fades into an alcoholic Lassie-laden haze. Price portrays the heroine as she spirals deeper into destructive delusions, turning on her lovers like an amped-up Jeanne Dielman. Edie is also a ghostly, childhood memory, based on Price’s mother and her obsessive viewing of woman’s pictures.

David Scheid is a video artist whose work addresses pathology and obsessive compulsive disorder. 'Margot Kidder' meticulously reconstructs 3 films from the actress’ golden period to illuminate Kidder’s peculiar personal narrative. Scheid infers that Kidder’s infamous downfall was present all along in these fragile performances. 'Margot Kidder' throws these clues into plain view, presenting a dismaying decoding of these otherwise commercial films. Like Price’s work, the film also serves as an intimate portrait of a male fan’s obsession with a female star. The 13-minute found-footage film is an alarming depiction of the filmmaker’s arousal, disdain, compassion and compulsion towards the eponymous subject.

“Roses and Red, Blood is Black…A is a relentlessly rancid alcoholic and drug-induced journey through which Edie, a washed-up and broken movie starlet finds herself alone and ugly with only glittering memories of her silver past.” Luther Price via Canyon Cinema

Chales Ludlam film screening at the X-TRA Launch

I will be hosting a the screening of two "lost" Charles Ludlam films at the forthcoming launch for Volumer 13 No. 1 of X-TRA Contemporary Art Quarterly on September 12 at the Mandrake. The issue contains my review of the films. At the event, I will screen Museum of Wax and play continuously the non-narrative Gooseflesh. The films were restored digitally by Ira Sachs and Adam Baran, screened for their series Queer/Art/Film in February, though they have since been taken up by OutFest's legacy project for more cohesive restoration. I hope to see you there!

2692 S La Cienega Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90034
(between Venice Blvd and Washington Blvd)