Twilight Zone

Miron Zownir, once labeled by the American author Terry Southern as THE POET OF RADICAL PHOTOGRAPHY, took up photography in the late 70s during the hey-days of the punk-phenomenon, delivering a tight portrayal of the movement and its peculiar attitude towards life in limbo between a utopian vision of anarchy and nihilistic self-destruction.

In 1980, he emigrated to the USA, where he lived for the next fifteen years; first in New York, then in Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh. In New York, back then arguably the world's most fascinating and permissive metropolis, Zownir's peculiar approach to cover the city's multiple-layered day-to-day lunacy was quickly recognised by the local scene and earned him a reputation as the TEUTONIC PHENOMENOGRAPHER (Village Voice).

Shot in moody, expressionistic b/w, Zownir's pictures from that period give a penetrating insight to inner-city sub-cultural spheres, which, in their original local context, have since perished in the boom of the 90s. His lens captured the untamed lust at the gay-parties, just shortly before Aids massively claimed its victims; the futile protest of artists and offbeat performers against the increasing commercialisation of Manhattan; the hopelessness on the Bowery; the shadowy world of hookers, bums, junkies.
During his long residence in America, Zownir worked not only as a photographer but also ventured into filmmaking, an ambition he had held since the mid-seventies. He wrote and directed several short underground films, which were mainly produced by Chosei Funahara, founder of the legendary band 'Plasmatics'.
In Berlin, Zownir's home since his return from Russia, he directed the documentary film BRUNO S. - ESTRANGEMENT IS DEATH, a feature-length portrayal of Bruno S., the backyard musician, painter and main protagonist of Werner Herzog's films THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER and STROSZEK. ESTRANGEMENT IS DEATH was shown at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival, and numerous other international film festivals.
The focus on extreme subjects and extraordinary forms of the human condition continued to be the central motivation of Zownir's work.

Miron Zownirs surreal drama feature debut PHANTOMANIE was completed in autumn 2008. For the first time since decades Bruno S. again plays a leading role in in Zownirs movie which is shot in Berlin right now. In the midst of a cold, despising world he gets involved as a lonesome commuter between dream and reality.
Lately he collaborates with Birol Uenel and FM Einheit in setting up intense lectures of his book "Parasiten der Ohnmacht".

Miron Zownir

TWILIGHT ZONE at Emmanuel Post Gallery, Berlin

Grolmanstrasse 46, 10623 Berlin

January 14 - March 3, 2012, Tuesday - Saturday, 12 - 7 pm

Opening reception: Friday, January 13, 2012, 7 pm

Through the Looking-Glass

 

 

 

 

Fabiana Roscioli lives in her very own world. At first glance a world of sensual beauty, framed by lightful architecture and interior. Fabiana lives in hotels, she works in hotels, fine places that serve as the background for her films and photographs.
Being a member of a family, who has a tradition in the hotel business for the last four generation, the detached realm of the hotels is her natural habitat.
Thus, her pictures of beautiful beings in delicate settings are no fashinable shoots, as in hip magazines, but rather diary entries from an alternate reflection of our world.  

 

 

 

 

 

Water and mirrors, reflecting surfaces are a core element of Fabiana´s world. Semi-transparent glass that connects her private realm with the world outside. Like Alice, she cannot be sure if she really exists or if she is only a imaginary figure within a dream. A short glimpse in the eye of the beholder. 
Her short film “Mirror Bag” (entirely shot at the Radisson Blu es, Rome) tells the story of two woman that connect through time and space with the help of a mirror.
It reflects very well the world of Fabiana Roscioli.

read more at  The art of Fabiana Roscioli

 

 

 

 

impossible love
a video work by Fabiana Roscioli and Luca Curci

 

It's all to do with hope and memory and sensuality and involvement, really

Reflection (self portrait) 1985; Oil on canvas, 56.2 x 51.2 cm; Private collection (via  Paul Payne)

Lucian Freud, a towering and uncompromising figure in the art world for more than 50 years, has died, his New York-based art dealer said Thursday. He was 88. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time. His works are noted for their psychological penetration, and for their often discomfiting examination of the relationship between artist and model.
“He lived to paint and painted until the day he died, far removed from the noise of the art world,” William R. Acquavella, his dealer, said in a statement.
 Freud's portraits often depict only the sitter, sometimes sprawled naked on the floor or on a bed or alternatively juxtaposed with something else, as in Girl With a White Dog (1951–52) and Naked Man With Rat (1977–78). The use of animals in his compositions is widespread, and often features pet and owner. Freud's subjects are often the people in his life; friends, family, fellow painters, lovers, children. He said, "The subject matter is autobiographical, it's all to do with hope and memory and sensuality and involvement, really."

Portrait of Lucian Freud on Orange Couch by Francis Bacon, 1965

Girl With A Kitten 1947

Soundsuits by Nick Cave

Chicago artist Nick Cave, transforms found objects in this kind of sculptural costumes, which are between art and haute couture. The Soundsuits are called like this because when worn they emit sounds. Reminiscent of African ceremonial costumes, he believes that the familiar must move towards the fantastic, to evoke feelings that have no name, which are not realized except in dreams. With this act of collecting and reconfigure, Cave manages to construct stories.

Who says art can´t be funky?

 

» Soundsuits by Nick Cave
(via We Are Selecters · You Are Selecters ♥ )

 

50 minutes of porn

Alan Smithee´s latest work will be on display at the contemporary art ruhr (C.A.R.) media art fair, this weekend, 3th-5th of June. Alan Smithee, best known for his cooperations with Julia Murakami,  is represented by A&O gallery/Directors Lounge.

Alan Smithee, 50 min. of porn, 2011
from the series Reality Scans


Alu-Dibond, Lambda print, behind acrylic glass, 60 cm x 75 cm, 23.6” x 29.5” , ed. of 5/1 AP

DIE: Dice Portrait Emphasizing on the Randomness of Life

13,138 days. 13,138 die. One die for every day he lived. Frederick McSwain remembers his friend Tobias Wong as, “one of the funniest people who ever lived. Every day with him was a monumental occasion. He had this big presence. There was something about the way he saw the world, the way he reacted was like the butterfly effect.” In his tribute piece for the  BrokenOff BrokenOff exhibition, McSwain chose to create a composite portrait of Wong using dice.

McSwain explains:

The idea of a die itself was appropriate—the randomness of life. It felt like [a medium] he would use. Because [Tobias] was a very street-level force, I thought it was appropriate [to install] the portrait on the floor. Its not something I wanted to suspend on the wall; I wanted it to be right there on the floor where you almost interact with it. The idea of every decision you make and everything you’ve done in your life, defines who you are. All of those days symbolically makes up the image of Tobi.

Core77 was there for the installation at Gallery R’Pure and created a stunning time lapse video of the making of DIE

"DIE" Frederick McSwain Installation Time Lapse from stephen dirkes on Vimeo.




(via the art resort)

From Paris with Love

Looks like Invader is safely back in Paris with new work and possibly a subtle message for the LAPD. (Photo: Lionel/Flickr)

(via ultra look)