I've probably said this before, but Eleven22 is like the Planet Fitness of churches...
Winter. 2008. I didn't know it at the time, but this photo is one of the last of me making a public appearance. It was around this time - due to a series of consecutive life events - that anxiety would start to take a hold. It manifested - publicly, no less - a couple of years later, but we'll get to that eventually. Anyway, this was painted in front of Cafe 331 on Forsythe in downtown Jax for a crowd of maybe about 10 people. It was cold, fam, nobody wanted to stand there for more than a few minutes to literally watch paint dry...
...from The Archives:
I fully realize that from the context of reading this blog, looking at these images for the first time may spark a line of questioning in most people's brains. Probably foremost is "Why? Why post photos of work done almost 3 decades ago instead of what you've been doing recently?" The answer to that is simple: I reignited this flame of a blog to produce a digital catalog of where I came from as an artist; to not only showcase the progress of my creative ventures, but also to illustrate the psychological meanderings and musings of someone who's lived as an outsider. A celebration of the weird and obscure, if you will. I can promise you this, though: if you can bear with me you'll get it by the time my catalogue catches up with the current date.
Imagine the amount of work you'd have to put in to be labeled as a "rogue archaeologist"...
From Big Think:
Because I've ventured into synthography, I'm going to start calling myself a "rogue artist". Eat that, street artists. It has to be extremely interesting work to recreate what humans from the distant past experienced via the senses. Remember, canned air fresheners and Yankee candles weren't a thing back then. They may have had something better - or way worse - but also keep in mind that flatulence has been a human thing since time immemorial. (I don't know if that's true; Also, I had to look up "immemorial" to make sure I spelled it correctly)
I've always said that this type of horror - Liminal Horror - is the future...
From Exit 8:
"地下鉄の改札を出て白い地下通路を歩いていく。天井には【出口8】の看板。しかしいつまでも出口に辿り着くことができない。何度もすれ違う同じ男に違和感を感じ、やがて自分が同じ通路を繰り返し歩いていることに気付く。そして壁に掲示されている、謎めいた【ご案内】を見つける。通路のどこかに【異変】があれば引き返し、なければそのまま前に進む。【1番出口】【2番出口】【3番出口】…正しければ【8番出口】に近づき、見落とすと【0番出口】に戻る。次々と現れる不可解な異変を見つけ、絶望的にループする無限回廊から抜け出すことができるのか？ インディーゲームクリエイターのKOTAKE CREATE氏がたったひとりで制作し、累計販売本数180万本超の世界的大ヒットを記録したゲーム『8番出口』が実写映画化。「あのゲームをどうやって映画に？」と謎につつまれた映画プロジェクトだったが、わずか30秒の特報映像と俳優・二宮和也の主演情報が解禁されると、爆発的に全世界に拡散され、Xのポストが2900万インプレッション超えをするという「異変」が発生。その他の登場人物については「VIVANT」で強烈な個性を放った河内大和、唯一無二の存在感を放ち続ける国民的ミューズ・小松菜奈など、数少ない出演者情報のみが公開されている。『告白』『悪人』『君の名は。』『怪物』など数々の映画を製作し、初監督作『百花』で第70回サン・セバスティアン国際映画祭にて日本人初となる最優秀監督賞を受賞した川村元気が監督・脚本を務めた本作は、第78回カンヌ国際映画祭オフィシャルセレクション【ミッドナイト・スクリーニング部門】に選出。超日本的な地下通路映画は、瞬く間に世界へと羽ばたき、カンヌの地で開催されたワールドプレミアで「圧倒的に新しい映画体験！」「重層的かつ現代的なテーマが編み込まれ、まったく新しいゲームの映画化となっていた」「まさかの展開、緻密な物語に驚かされた！」と絶賛され、アジア、ヨーロッパなど既に30以上の国と地域での上映が決定。いま最も、世界から公開を待ち望まれている日本映画となっている。そしてきたる8月29日、全世界に先駆けて映画『8番出口』が日本公開となる。"
Y'all already know, straight up, I have zero clue as to what any of that says and I didn't bother to translate it either. (I did, but I'm not telling any of you...) I trust that it explains a brief synopsis of the film and adds value to your day. I also wanted to mess with everyone's tolerance of my shenanigans and to show respect to the Japanese by not altering the text from one of their websites. Just know, this one gets weird.
The Hip Hop culture just lost a pathfinder...
Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa has died at the age of 67, TMZ reported. The influential DJ and producer passed away early Thursday in Pennsylvania, with the cause of death linked to complications from cancer.
Born Lance Taylor in the Bronx, New York, Bambaataa is widely regarded as one of the architects of hip-hop culture, alongside DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash.
I had the privilege of seeing Bambaataa play in Orlando at what used to be a weekly called Sunday School back in '94 or '95 and the energy was unmatched. He played some of the most obscure and reknowned breaks alike - plus the Orlando Zulu Chapter b-boys had an elite cypher going the whole set. It's moments like that I wish smartphones were a thing just so I could have the footage of that night. My condolences to his family and friends.
I can't even begin to express how relevant this is...
I don't want to say anything about the video because it's a highly interesting watch, but one of the most profound things I've heard him say in another separate video was this:
"Here's the thing: Life becomes a little less terrifying when you realize that it's not a test that you pass or fail. It's just a weird, crazy, unintentional absurd comedy that you've been cast in without an audition. Riders On The Storm."
This flick had me questioning shadows for a few hours...
From IMDB:
"Mikey's worst nightmares turn into a waking horror when his mother begins exhibiting disturbing signs of demonic possession. As a dark, malevolent force takes hold, Mikey is plunged into a terrifying battle for his family's survival. What he's about to face will not only haunt him for the rest of his life but will set off a chain of unspeakable events, leaving devastation in its wake. As the entity's curse threatens to spread, Mikey must confront a sinister evil that seeks to claim countless lives, binding his family's fate to a terror that will endure for generations. —Horror Brains"
This is a strange watch because it begins in a first person, found footage aesthetic - which they should've stuck with - then turns into a very disturbing story about childhood trauma and the occult. What I enjoyed most about it is the imagery; the possession sequences are majorly offputting and provide a dark visual experience. The element that takes away from it, if I have to mention it, would be the storytelling. It's a good watch and I think any horror fan will enjoy it, despite it's minor flaws.
I honestly don't do this enough here...
" Conrad Subs continues his run of releases on Metalheadz, this time landing on Metalheadz Platinum for the first time with the 'Cylinder EP'.Jiggery Pokery has to be my choice from this EP; it's definitely high adherence to the Metalheaz sound. I even get a sense of Biotic, but much more modern. You can check out all of the tracks on the EP here:
The Ipswich-based producer has built a reputation through a slew of releases rooted in drum and bass tradition, paired with a sharp, modern edge. His sound draws on the core elements of the genre while maintaining a consistency that now sees him land on Metalheadz vinyl for the first time, with four tracks built to do the heavy lifting. "
I'ma head out, but as I spend my life scouring the internet rest assured I will always find weird things like this video...
Stay up!
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