Posts

Showing posts from October, 2009

Most recent post

WHAT CAN MAKE UP FOR LACK OF TALENT

Image
  WHAT CAN MAKE UP FOR LACK OF TALENT Does art derive its validity from the skill of the creator's hand, or from the cultural scaffolding that forces our conscious spotlight onto the object? This gallery space has thrown down a direct challenge. Dominating the centre wall, glowing in bright white neon above the shattered glass and the Campbell's Soup Can, is a raw, uncomfortable question: "WHAT CAN MAKE UP FOR LACK OF TALENT?"  This neon sign acts as the ultimate cognitive mirror, forcing us to reconcile the two extremes hanging on either side of the gallery. The Postmodern Answer: Frame and Hype Look at the soup can sitting in the spotlight. Postmodernism, driven by Andy Warhol and Pop Art, gave a cynical, revolutionary answer to this neon question: Context, branding, and institutional framing make up for a lack of talent. Postmodernism declared that you don't need the masterly brushwork of the Renaissance or the sublime emotional intensity of Mark Rothko. An art...

Top 5 80's Australian post punk

jjfbbennett TOP 5 1980's Australian Post Punk Under rated and more powerful than the UK or USA Holy Joe: Laughing Clowns Laughing Clowns are an Australian post punk rock band fronted by vocalist and guitarist Ed Kuepper and backed by drummer Jeff Wegener.  Formed in Sydney in 1979 after the break-up of Kuepper's punk rock band The Saints. Where The Saints were a bass/drums/guitar rock band, Laughing Clowns' various line-ups included double bass, piano, tenor saxophone and trumpet. Often referred to as "jazz punk" by critics, the group's songs were often constructed around difficult time signatures and sometimes "off-key" melodies. Kuepper passionately disagreed with the assertion that the music was jazz-like, but rather thought of the music as being soul-like. This is evidenced by the fact that, in amongst the cachophony, many of the songs have strong melodic hooks, epic progressions and emotionally charged lyrics. They released several albums, singl...