LOOK INTO MY OWL

Today, the Whitney Museum of American Art has thrown the doors open on “Diver” a retrospective exhibition highlighting the wide scope of work generated by artist Paul Thek in his short lifetime. Yesterday, the museum let us in to preview the work on display and we have some photos to share.

The retrospect is thoughtfully curated. Each room folds out another aspect, time period and location change from the career of the artist. It’s a sensation that is felt by the viewer as avenues that appear as growth from change rather than linear progress. To experience the work contained in “Diver” as it is laid out is to get a surreal sense of the life of Paul Thek.

The last room of the exhibit contains work produced shortly before Thek submitted to complications from AIDS. The paintings are hung very low in this room. The audience is forced to bow or kneel to engage the work closely. Thek’s sentiments, knowing he was going to die, unearth a beauty of spirit and directness that reorganize his life’s effort into new clarity.

Paul Thek was a man that knew the history of his trade well, this is evident from getting to know his work. Another thing that jumps out is that he became, himself, an influence to countless artists. It is the first major examination of his work in the United States. If time and space are against you and you can’t get to New York, pick up the 304 page catalogue, here.

More photos after the break.
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The New Museum is hosting the first U.S. retrospective exhibit of the work of Brion Gysin. “Dreamachine” is a crucial step toward recognizing Gysin as one of the most influential minds of the 20th century. The exhibition brings together more than three hundred drawings, books, paintings, collages, films, slide projections, and sound works.

William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, The Third Mind, ink and typescript on paper, 1965.

An original Dreamachine is also on display. In 1961, Gysin along with Ian Somerville conceived the device that is intended to be viewed with closed eyes. The Dreamachine produces light that pulses at a frequency that stimulates alpha waves in the brain. Initial experiences conjure common symbols to roll through the mind’s eye. Consistent use over time has been known to invoke virtual three-dimensional spaces and trigger senses beyond vision. I built my first Dreamachine in 1994 and have used it occasionally over the years. Here is a link to an online simulation, please heed the warnings as the effect can elicit photosensitive epilepsy.

Bryon Gysin with Dreamachine at Musée des Art Décoratifs, Paris, 1962.

It is impossible to sum up the importance of this man, his art and collaborations in a few short paragraphs. This is why it is so important to get to the New Museum before October 3rd. We are going to be spending the Fall and Winter in New York and actually altered our plans so that we would be sure not to miss this long-deserved remembrance.

William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, The Third Mind, crayon, gelatin-silver prints, letterpress, offset lithography, and typescript on graph paper, 1965.

Brion Gysin
Dreamachine
7 July – 3 October 2010
New Museum
NYC

After months of work and hundreds of buckets of paint the latest wall animation from Blu is ready to thrill you. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the video in its entirety.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

“Big Bang Big Boom” is a narrative, frame-by-frame animation that runs a course from the initial big bang that sparked our Universe to a hypothetical end to our own planet.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

Despite the potentially alarmist nature of the material, Blu’s sense of play can be felt running through the entire video. This endearing quality is enhanced with a marvelous soundtrack by Andrea Martignoni.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

This is the most impressive animation that Blu has done to date. This is saying a lot as there has been some astonishing work in the past. “Big Bang Big Boom” continues to evolve with new ideas in addition to providing a perfect balance of two and three dimensional animation with powerful transitions.