Blog — Page 215 of 283

John Heartfield – Laughter Is A Devastating Weapon

Tate Publishing

John Heartfield (born Helmut Herzfeld; 19 June 1891 – 26 April 1968) was an artist and a pioneer in the use of art as a political weapon.  He is held in high esteemed as a pioneer in the world of photomontage with his intricate approach to manipulating photographs and the impact it had on the political landscape of his time. Some of his photomontages were anti-Nazi and anti-fascist statements. Heartfield also created book jackets for authors such as Upton Sinclair as well as stage sets for such playwrights as Bertold Brecht and Erwin Picator. 

If you ever wondered what inspired Sakevi of G.I.S.M.’s collages and artwork, you will find the answer in this book, which  provides a comprehensive, opulent overview about his works along with informative essays that contextualize his emissions, one hundred and fifty of which are depicted in their original and the printed versions and were put together and derived from the collection of  David King (known from The Commissar Vanishes, Red Star over Russia and Russian Revolutionary Posters).

Needless to say that roughly seventy years after Heartfield’s heyday, his oeuvre still exudes the same intensity and is as relevant as it ever was.

With the original Marquette being displayed on one side and the corresponding AIZ cover on the other, it allows to reader to view the many artistic nuances of Heartfield's work that are lost in the mass reproductions.

An absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in collage art works in general and John Heartfield and his work specifically.

No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life

Chris Jericho

Da Capo Press

The basics: Chris Jericho portrays himself as a bit of a Renaissance Man wearing the hats of a bestselling author and  juggling a veritable wrestling career. The book compiles his wisdom in twenty lessons that helped him establish himself in the position he is in today, peppered with what he refers to as “Jericho-isms”, his trademark witty remarks that frame his elaborations.

Chris Jericho gets shit done: Pro wrestler, lead singer or a touring and established rock 'n' roll band, heading his own widely successful podcast with his signature style and a range of interesting guests.

It is not further wondrous that Jericho encountered adversity during his career and his ability to achieve what he set out to was questioned. What sets him apart is that he believed in his vision and did not allow himself to be lead astray by naysayers.

In essence, No Is a Four-Letter Word is a compilation of Jericho’s show business wisdom, which can be inspiring and is entertaining: From shedding light on how his work ethic evolved to pages he took from the books of established great showmen he encountered, e.g. Gene Simmons of KISS via David Bowie to Keith Richard.

The result is a funny, entertaining, and at times inspiring book – Jericho’s fourth, which compared to the previous three sees him take the switch from a classic autobiography to more of a self help manual based on his past experiences. 

Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between

Andrew Bolton

Yale University Press

If you are into design, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons will ring a couple of bells as she has been heralded as one of the most influential luminaries in her field. Ever since she debuted in Paris in 1981, she has succeeded in blurring the divide between art and fashion and transformed predominant  notions of beauty, identity, and the body.

Her fashions not only stand apart from the progenitur of clothing but also resist and actively defy labelling and clichés. Her work is centered on the concept behind the idea of the “in-between”, which according to her approach is situated between space and emptiness.

NYC’s MET Costume Institute's spring 2017 exhibition examined the work of fashion designer Rei Kawakubo, who is not unknown for being an agent provocateur challenging the status quo and what is considered to be good practice by the mainstream.

The show that was based on the theme of “in-between-ness” featured around one hundred and fifty exhibits of the womenswear Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons have become known for, not only stopping at recent collections but  dating back to the 1980s to her most recent collections.

The galleries illustrated the designer's endeavours in the space between boundaries, which are infused with a gusto for revolution.

Objects were organized into the  nine core concepts behind her aestheticism:

• Absence/Presence
• Design/Not Design
• Fashion/Anti-Fashion
• Model/Multiple
• Then/Now
• High/Low
• Self/Other
• Object/Subject and Clothes/Not Clothes

What Kawakubo accomplishes, is tearing down what is perceived to separate the aforementioned dualisms and exposing those barriers for what they are: Artificial and arbitrary.

As one who is remotely familiar with Kawakubo’s oeuvre, the show was challenging, with the astonishing garments, installation design and catalog forming an unrivaled juggernaut breaking down barriers between art and fashion, that is in book form articulated by Andrew Bolton and photography by Nicholas Alan Cope, Inez & Vinoodh, Katerina Jebb, Kazumi Kurigami, Ari Marcopoulos, Craig McDean, Brigitte Niedermair, Paolo Roversi, and Collier Schorr 

This catalogue is meant to accompany The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute exhibition, which was centered around Kawakubo’s definition of fashion:

“What I’ve only ever been interested in are clothes that one has never seen before, that are completely new, and how in what way they can be expressed. Is that called fashion? I don’t know the answer.” - Rei Kawakubo.

This lavishly illustrated publication weaves an illuminating narrative around Kawakubo’s experiments in oppositions and the spaces between boundaries.

Kawakubo regards her fashions and their environments as a Gesamtkunstwerk, i.e. a “total work of art.” This synthesis of the exhibition and this book is therefore designed as a complete expression of the Comme des Garc?ons “universe.” It is intended to be a holistic, immersive experience, facilitating a personal engagement with Kawakubo’s emissions.

A book that is minimal, arresting, and impossibly chic eye candy photography not just for hardcore fashion aficionados but one that can be appreciated by many artistic disciplinarians and one that gives insight into Kawakubo's process and thinking.

Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg

Manning Bar

Sydney, Australia

November 23, 2017

Tonight heralded the return of Marky Ramone to Australian shores, whose tenure handling skin duties for the Ramones lasted for a total of 15 year, from May 1978 until February 1983, and August 1987 until August 1996, has also played in other notable bands, Dust, Estus, and Richard Hell and the Voidoids.

Marky has made it his mission to keep The Ramones’ spirit alive, and as tonight’s demographic and turnout exemplifies, quite successfully  with audiences being a melange of older and younger punters yet with an average age where they were certainly not around when the Ramones  were together.

For his current shows, Marky is digging all the way into the Ramones catalogue to deliver an absolute treat for every Ramones fan with an extensive set list comprised of 38 Ramones songs.

And yes, one could make a case that enacting a rendition of Ramones songs with Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg with only him being the sole survivor actual band means reverting to very safe territory and indulging in nostalgia, however, the band’s performance is tight and close enough to the original to make it entertaining and stand on its own legs.

Ramones are an integral cornerstone of punk rock and gateway band and tonight was testament to their songs being timeless classics.

The band managed to rev up the crowd with a tight and at times maniacally fast set with Marky being the solid backbone and driver of the operation, adding fills along with other welcome ornaments that were not part of the original songs, which contributed to the songs rather than diluting their DNA.

A fun show with an onslaught of sound from start to finish reaffirming the Ramones' legacy with a competent tribute band that is not pretending to be more than it is and one that comes very close to the original.

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Photos by KAVV

UB 40

Hordern Pavilion

Sydney, Australia

November 24, 2017

As infectious and happy the UK’s biggest reggae export’s emissions sound, disputes had riddled the band’s legacy and resulted in a feud between the two resulting camps of founding members, with both still touring the globe under the same moniker, the one referring to the United Kingdom’s unemployment claiming form.  

Be it as it may, what descended upon tonight’s stage was a full-bodied seven-piece band that delivered the classics as well as newer tunes of the band’s extensive catalogue, which was warmly received by an appreciative and fervent crowd that was happy to chant and sway along, culminating in the night's final number, crowd pleaser and encore conclusion, the Neil Diamond-penned classic ode to the redness of vino, which made UB 40 a household name transcending generations – with tonight’s demographics being an example par excellence with a diverse crowd of all ages.

Tonight’s incarnation of UB40 delivered a fine celebration of ska, reggae and lovers rock infused with their trademark style with a heavy influence of psychedelically tinged guitars, analogue synthesizers, a brass section and a dub approach informing the irie vibe.

A band that knows exactly what their audience wants and dishes it out generously.

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Photo provided