Archive for 'The Antiques, Design and Art World'

Ethyl wins

February 10, 2011 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

 

 

 

So, today I debated WHICH MUSICAL person/group was the MOST IRRITATING – i.e., which one(s) were most likely to drive me right OUT of a room.

Obviously I had time on my hands, and thank god for a pal dropping by who not only likes doing such things but encourages it!

We started with perimeters that seemed reasonable (at first):  Rock groups from the 60′s and 70′s. Plenty of material there… Garry Lewis and the Playboys, The Fugs, Country Joe and the Fish, The Grateful Dead, later Elton John, ALL those pseudo-operatic disco mega-orchestral groups, or Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet, the other cabaret/bar types… we slid easily into the 80′s.

But, something was missing. Sure, his or her popularity has always been a mystery to me (I KNOW I’VE STEPPED ON TOES ALREADY…), but THEY don’t have the incredibly irritating EDGE I sought for in this high-intensity comparison contest. Face it, The Spice Girls HAD no edge. They were just dull. That’s all. Talentless, corporate Products.  Disposable.  I also had to leave behind the idea of a certain period or style of music. It was an unnecessary boundary anyhow. But wait… AH HA! “Musicals” are a favorite hate of mine… “STAGE” musicals especially… and comparo-test was pretty easy after that.

The person’s voice had to be loud AND irritating, their GESTURES had to be jerky & artless, their choice of music HOKEY & KITSCHY at the very least… we’re talkin’ Ethyl Merman! Ethyl can chase me out of a room ANYTIME!


I LOVE these intellectual challenges. It’s not as exciting as watching food get hit by cars, but it’ll do for today.


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Designing Revolution

October 29, 2010 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

Yesterday, I was reading in “Designing Tomorrow – America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930′s” that the European Modernists viewed THEIR World’s Fairs (most importantly, the French 1925 Paris Exposition) as a platform for social and political revolution, whereas American designers, investors, and [to a lesser degree] the attendees saw our Fairs as a way to HEAD OFF revolution. I think that’s very interesting, and I’m inclined to agree.
It had to do with the internal problems of each country. Although the Great Depression had effects on much of the world, in America the reigning philosophy was that the same science, industry, and investment systems that got us into the mess could also get us out of the mess – by discarding outdated modes of operation and beliefs, and, by investing (literally) in a newly DESIGNED – a MODERN – system for our Future. THIS is what would head off the wrong kind of revolution. THIS would be the RIGHT kind of revolution. We just needed the Faith to push forward and make the adjustments. This of course dovetailed perfectly with Capitalism.
The World’s Fairs were short-hand, glamorous expressions of that philosophy. They were big, sophisticated science fair projects with great display… that left everyone feeling better than when they first arrived. People traveled across the country and spent precious money to become a part of this hopeful change. Imagine that, if you can. One quarter of the national population traveled to the ’39 New York World’s Fair.
I love the ’33 and ’39 World’s Fairs. There were others in the 30′s, but the others have not captured MY attention and imagination (for whatever reasons).
The auto industry was a big part of pushing American Modern thinking ahead. Much of it was based on the “Machinery” of Change, which was most evident in cars, kitchen appliances, aeroplanes, film, radio, television, architecture… the Things we made and used every day… not the high-falootin’ idears of those namby-pamby Euro-peons.
When I look at design, I see the expressions of Hope and Fear held by those humans in that place at that time. I see their active struggle to recognize, normalize, discard, adjust, and invent their world on that day under those circumstances. A toaster “talked” about our place in the world and where we are headed. WE owned a piece of the “solution”. I totally understand this. We, as Americans, are not confused by the idea that what we make is what we are, for better and worse. We may try to deny it, but that’s silly and ostrich-like. We have nothing about which to be any more embarrassed than any other culture at any other time in any other place.

 

We are who we are. Enjoy the ride.

Ronn.

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METROPOLIS, Pigs, and Bees

July 20, 2010 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

 

 

Tomorrow night is a big event.

 

The newly restored / lengthened version of “METROPOLIS” is available at our local Art Film theater !! I’d come to believe NOTHING would EVER get me back into a movie theater, but “METROPOLIS” is a major film-history event. It’s like another ten feet of Picasso’s “Guernica” was discovered and it is now being reintroduced to the world. To discover 25 minutes of imagery missing from the original film, and to restore it at a cost of $840,000 was huge news and a huge project. After almost 100 years, this silent film is nearly back to what people first saw (and heard by orchestra) in 1927 Berlin.  (For perspective, “Avatar” cost somewhere between 280 and 500 MILLION dollars to make, and it won’t be remembered by Xmas.)

Here are a couple discussions of “METROPOLIS”:

http://www.shadowlocked.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=487:metropolis-1927-restoration-review&catid=36:movie-reviews

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100602/REVIEWS08/100609989

I couldn’t be happier. Yet… the fact it’s only available in one of the places I most dread – The Public Theater – actually causes me anxiety in anticipation. THAT’S how much I’ve come to hate contemporary public behavior at any Art form presentation.

 

“The Public” is a roving mass of pigs.

 

When I watch a film set in 1750, with all those ridiculous, powdered French aristocrats dressed like pastel wedding cakes, the one thing I envy is the environment they offered for the Arts. For a string quartet, the small audience sits, remains still, pays quiet attention, then applauds, and later discusses the evening’s presentation.

It’s NOT that complicated, nor that difficult for anyone over the age of two. Yet, because of the era over which my life spans, I’ve watched The Publick shift from treating Art / entertainment events with respect and enthusiasm to something that may as well be happening in their den, and finally, to something they already done did in their bathroom.

When I met blues writer / musician Tom Waits, and we had the time to sit down and talk (in the basement of a small club in Tucson), I asked him how he felt about what I observed during his first show that evening – which was, frankly, a rude, distracted, loud, disrespectful, semi-drunk pile of asses. I asked him “Why don’t you just tell them to shut the f*** up!?” (Yes, that’s how I began the conversation.)

He paused, grinned with one of those “You naive man, you” expressions, shrugged his shoulders, and said (I paraphrase) – “I’ve been asked me to play at the London Paladium. I’ll have a real audience there.”

 

 

Waits had been playing clubs for years, but by this time he was already a famous musician (if you were paying attention). He understood what I didn’t (or preferred to deny):  you can’t control your audience. If you challenge them, they feel even mo’special than what they git from their buzz on that cheap beer – and will most likely escalate the confrontation. Waits was caught between two simultaneous urges. He loved the small club atmosphere – it was in this world he found his music and lyrics, yet his work had become complex and subtle (if you were paying attention), so he was increasingly frustrated at its being destroyed by the noise and motion of the uneducated / uncaring mass. He had a choice, but wasn’t yet prepared to make it, I suppose. My guess was he would slowly move into more studio work and less appearances.

This wasn’t any great insight on my part. Every artist who gains recognition ends up concluding the same thing. I don’t believe most are being “uppity”. “WE” – “The Publick” – and those who feed The Publick – DRIVE artists into seclusion. We drive them into associating only with others in their own business. We drive them into finding a quiet hotel on some obscure island for a few days of peace and quiet – if they’re lucky. We drive them into speeding down the roads to escape the swerving, tail-gating paparazzi, risking their lives and the lives of others. I GET IT. I GET why once in awhile you see an actor or musician become fed-up and smack some relentless camera creep. Sure, the famous person signed on to join this wacky culture of constructed fetishes worshiping faux-personalities. They’re not victims per se, but they are human, and I’d love to see how many days ANY ONE OF US could HANDLE what they actually face.

 

Imagine you bought a piece of property you’ve always wanted. You build your home there. Life is good.

You’d always wanted to “make” your own honey. You start a small bee hive way off at the far end of your property. It works! You’re getting honey for your toast in the morning! You are grateful for and love that little group of bees. You have a relationship. You could almost name each one.

One day you step outside to find an unbelievably huge colony of bees have moved in and built multiple hives atop your home. Every time you step outside, you’re attacked. You try to solve this, but soon learn there are so many bees, you CANNOT ever eliminate them all.

Now you’re wearing protective clothing, running to your car, keeping the windows up, and trying to out-race them because they chase you everywhere… to the corner grocery or pick up your child from school. Your kids must wear the protective clothing. They too must run.

Your friends cannot endure this environment. If they’re not with YOU, they are left alone. Eventually, you are isolated. Every place you go, every day, every time, the bees are watching and will relentlessly zoom after you – night and day – always ready to attack.

You move. They follow and build a new hive atop that house.
You move. They follow and build a new hive atop that house.
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Okay, back to “METROPOLIS”. I’ve had a huge crush on its star, Brigitte Helm for decades…  Here she is:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H8LYRZIxj3A/R_p73u0jjcI/AAAAAAAAAyI/SjhefA5QVBI/s400/Brigitte_Helm_in_Metropolis.jpg

 

 

Okay, ACTUALLY back to “METROPOLIS”:

If you want to read reviews about the re-discovered, restored (2009, 159 min.) “METROPOLIS”, they’re out there and pretty accurate (such as the links I provided). Main points are 1) the missing 25 minutes clarifies a lot of sub-plots, and the story now flows very nicely, 2) there is no doubt which is the new old footage – it is in relatively poor condition (and thus I expect at least one more eventual restoration), and 3) as long as you keep reminding yourself this film is nearly 100 years old, the subjects, frankness, symbolism, drama, and amazing sets with special effects are unparalleled.
I must own this new old version.

 

Years of Past Thoughts on METROPOLIS
“METROPOLIS” (German, 1927, by Fritz Lang, 87 minutes, restored 1984 by Giorgio Moroder): First of all, you need to LET GO of your 2006 A.D. “film-think”, because this was made 80 YEARS ago. Acting, even when done well, was related more to stage than camera – which shows in the exaggerated gestures meant to be seen & understood from the back row of a theater. Plus, this IS a German Expressionist/Cubist/Art Deco film, so an edgy, frantic, and shattered look ARE its artistic means to the end. With that said, this film was lovingly restored – pieced back together where ever possible, filled, and altered by Giorgio Moroder over a number of years. A TRUE Labor of Love. Bless him. I tend to be a Purist – and yet his contemporary soundtrack is surprisingly enjoyable and effective. The story is of class division 100 years in the future (2026 A.D.) (though everything looks 1927 Modern, which I love), when the few wealthy people (“Brains”) with power run the hoards of faceless, blue collar workers (“Hands”). Sound like you could relate? Sure, this film is an essay on German society in psychological and financial ruins from World War I, with its increasing need for a “savior” to come along and UNITE & SAVE the People (in this case by forming Labor Unions). Socialist? Yes. Politics aside, “Metropolis” is one of the most beautifully lighted and creative sets of all time. Each shot is composed with great care, each movement and spot of light placed with precision, and the architecture/decor is stunning early Art Deco. I’m willing to bet the male lead, “Freder”, will not fill your definition of “hero”… being a tad heavy on the pancake makeup and rouge. On the other hand, I’ve had a long-running, VERY heated, major crush on the female lead, Maria – the good-hearted heroine – the gentle woman who holds the hands of children, AND…(in her dual role) – as the evil “false Maria” robot/temptress who dances wildly at the “Yoshiwara” house of ill-repute, driving tuxedoed men wild with animal lust. Yes, it’s true – if I could get in a time machine and go anywhere in the 20th century, it would be to the Metropolis movie set, 1925-26, just to cozy up with Brigitte Helm (“Maria”). (My wife knows this, so don’t bother trying to rat on me.) I hold “Metropolis” high NOT because of all the lessons it will teach on how to lead your Life, but due to its artistic beauty, historical interest, imaginative decor, and enjoyable naiveté. (Remember to rent the restored version (!!!) (2002) with its original orchestral score, and NOT the older ones – a patchwork quilt attempt – valiant, but barely legible.)

And:
“METROPOLIS” (1927, viewed twice this year): THIS is the new (2002), FURTHER restored (124 minutes!), silent (no dubbing) version of the once-lost masterpiece by Fritz Lang, and my first viewing. There have been TWO major restorations: the Giorgio Moroder version, which I enjoy (including it’s 80′s rock-n-roll (!) music tracks and occasional “hand” coloring in small areas), and, this NEW one which extends the movie length (although approximately 25 minutes is still missing from Lang’s original work). NOW the missing parts, due to script discoveries, are indicated in black-frame text descriptions, and, since the original orchestral score is now known, it has been recreated, recorded, and fit to the film as well. Fritz MUST HAVE belonged to either the Socialist or Communist Party at the time. The film is a hardly disguised propaganda piece for the Heads (wealthy bosses), and Hands (anonymous workers), to come together with the aid of the Hearts (union mediators). You MUST approach this film with an attitude different than that which you use for contemporary films: the acting is way over the top, as silent films took their queues from the theater; the music is heavy and dramatic (Germanic); the symbolism straight from the Bible, ultra-Moderne fashions, and political thinking of 1920′s Europe; not to mention bits and pieces of “Frankenstein” (pun intended), “Nosferatu”, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, a harbinger of “King Kong”, plus many influences by German Expressionist visual art of the period. The more you know about German history of that time, the more you see how significant “Metropolis” would have been to that viewing public (not to mention sexy, cutting edge, and prophetic). Hitler was still a small time crook in 1926, but the old German empire was crumbling under its own weight, and Fate awaited Adolph. The Time was Ripe, indeed. I ADORE Brigitte Helm, the actress who plays both a Madonna-like, inspirational spokeswoman for the masses, AND the evil temptress robot, programmed to infiltrate the masses for the purpose of destabilizing the union movement. Her body and facial movements are SO enjoyable in their exaggerated, Art Deco/Expressionist way, and, at least for ME, somehow V V VEEERRRRY seductive… She also loves to grab her breasts during emotional moments. Watch her one eyelid drop, when she’s the robot woman. Watch her eyes become like Bambi’s Mom, when she’s the Madonna. The sets are so modern, so hip and stylish, I can barely stand it. Within the context of IT’S time, perhaps only “2001: A Space Odyssey” matches its vast inspiration for depicting the future. Remember: “Metropolis” was made BEFORE skyscrapers – and that includes the Chrysler and Empire State buildings in N.Y.C.. There were NO multi-layered overpasses, air transports within cities, etc.. Are the characters simplistic? Yes. Is the story fairly obvious? I think so. Does that detract? No! It IS a Masterpiece, and WILL impress you, unless you have no sense of historical perspective… THAT you probably need, or you might think the entire film just “hokey”. Your loss.

 

(Now to Tuesday night, and the premier of the latest restoration:)

Prior to the film, a professor of German was there to present background info on Germany during those years. If you were uninformed about those times, and you were willing to concentrate beyond normal requirements to decipher his distracted, barely organized thoughts and tangents, he had a few snippets of general insight.

My big surprise: The audience was as close to decent as I’ve ever experienced in the last two decades. This was SO unexpected, I’ve asked myself “Why did THIS happen!?”

1) Having a live “lecture” beforehand (complete with lectern) set a tone quite different than flicking on a big screen tee-vee at home to play a moovie. They were now in a “classroom”, they were not alone, and they were told what they were about to see was special and rare.
2) It is a silent film presented with the orchestral score and its text (which required reading), so the blatant opportunity to react to and talk over entertainment fluff did not exist in its normal form.
3) This film is SO foreign – not just because it is German and from 1927, but due to its serious ideas about politics, social structure, labor unions, class division, economic disparity, etc., it continually re-demands your thoughts even when the imagery has an almost kitschy look. I saw a few people walk out on this lengthy film by the half-way point. No doubt they were tired of working, were unwilling to make the effort, or everyone was too danged po-lite.

 

If I owned a theater, I would start EVERY film with a lecture by someone in a related field. This would add to the entire experience, and, I believe, establish a respectful atmosphere.

Have you ever wondered why most people behave fairly at a museum, symphony, or theatrical performance, yet seldom at a movie theater?

 

 

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Lion’s paw feet on an Mies chair

June 28, 2010 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

 

(Read more at Design*Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/03/ilse-crawford.html#ixzz0sAXeUF2v)

This sort of decorating (mixing Queen Anne with Bauhaus, etc.) reminds me very much of the late 60’s/early 70’s, which is, of course, upon which this latest “retro” movement is built. I lived that time – not only as a man and an artist, but a young adult facing all that era offered (and shoved into our faces).

Its decor was a total shotgun mix of old and new styles. It was an historical mish-mash which gave birth to the label “post-modern”. Pick up any decor magazine or book from that period – and it’s all you’ll see. We no longer knew what we wanted or where to go to get it.

Decor is NOT accidental. It grows from the Zeitgeist of a culture, and only from there does the market and public turn it into a commodity and fashion statement. So what WAS going on, and what DOES it tell us about NOW as well? (Let’s not pretend every era is truly unique. If you read your history, you’ll see we move in cycles… again and again.)

The late 60’s/early 70’s saw the growth, morph, and collapse of many idealistic social movements. It was the time of Viet Nam – death in the streets and death in foreign jungles. It was the time of governmental lies, hopeful leaders being killed faster than we could mourn, faction fighting faction, artists dying of overdoses so often you tried to make every concert because you ASSUMED this would be their LAST, everyone thinking they had the ONLY answer, and an economy falling apart on all of us. It was also a time when “we” landed on the Moon, found cures to diseases, helped minorities gain a little more respect, and forced Viet Nam to cease and Nixon to resign. This was a heady, but generally ugly time. Just look at the clothing fashions, if you can’t look any deeper.

Why did this happen? Society was in upheaval. Everyone – EVERYONE – was insecure. Let me say that again: EVERY ONE. Everyone wanted to reach back into the “glorious” Past and into the “glorious” Future – and please God, let us AVOID the lousy present. It’s the only thing that can explain Disco.

Now to our present…

We no longer care about the Moon, our economy is in the tank, we have incurable diseases, we’re in Viet N… oops, I mean Iraqistan, we’re being fed lies as usual, and, well, why repeat myself? It’s forty years later, and the cycle is here again. We are as insecure about life now as we were then. If the MILITARY DRAFT were to be reinstituted, we’d have a nearly identical environment.

This is the energy underlying what you see these daze. Look with cool eyes. Think about it. Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Understanding it won’t hurt.

 

 

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The Cycle of Fashion

June 5, 2010 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

 

Indecent – 10 years before its time
Shameless – 5 years before its time
Outre – 1 year before its time
Smart
Dowdy – 1 year after its time
Hideous – 10 years after its time
Ridiculous – 20 years after its time
Amusing – 30 years after its time
Quaint – 50 years after its time
Charming – 70 years after its time
Romantic – 100 years after its time
Beautiful – 150 years after its time

James Laver, Taste and Fashion, 1945

You laugh – and I know you’re laughing – because Mr. Laver nailed it. Nailed US, that is. His 1945 insight was aimed at Americans, and holds up as consumer insight to this very day. Did we come to this set of beliefs “naturally”?

Cultures are Constructs invented by humans forced to interact with local land, weather, one another, and the passage of time. Perhaps this IS the definition of Nature. Perhaps we cannot escape Nature. Perhaps Bees and Ants have similar lists.

I’m not in the mood to go off on a huge RANT (I know, I know, how UNUSUAL!), but I will say this vision of cycles is NOT a world-wide belief even today, despite more Capitalist and Democratic countries. If you’ve visited other countries, chances are they were using similar systems, but I lived in another land – one we would all agree helped set the stage for the United States centuries ago (Holland) – and invisible subtleties exist in cultures like the air they breathe. In a visit, you don’t get the time to slowly and deeply inhale.

Holland is a country that respects and celebrates its Past while thinking in more liberal and modern ways than most any other country on Earth. HOW DO THEY DO THIS seemingly contradictory juggling act?? We can’t seem to manage that which is behind or in front of us!

It IS amazing to me, an American. I often think about them. I learned a lot there, and I continue to learn by considering my experiences.

So, as you reread that list of Taste and Fashion, recognize how accurate it is for US, AND how imprecise it could remain for others living elsewhere in other hives, even with appearances to the contrary.

“WE” – The Big We – are NOT all alike, despite our fervent desire to have one big System…

… of OUR particular design, of course.

Oh oh, I can feel a RANT brewing… I should stop right now.

 

 

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IT’S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO COIN WORDS!

March 1, 2010 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.


I love our American language.

 

I love coining words. I love wondering how someone decided “coining” meant “creating”.   Like I said, I love our language.

First, a fuzzy oldie of mine that deserves another stroke with the lint brush:

“Velvis Art” (VEL-viss art) – bad paintings on black velvet. Example: “That there’s a dang good paintin’ of a sad lil’ puppy and scared lil’ kitty!” Source: Elvis Presley paintings.

Thank you.  Thank you very much.  I’m proud of that one.

Yesterday I spontaneously wrote these Brand New ones for you. KIDS: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME WITHOUT PARENTAL SUPERVISION!

Here we go….

“Crapple’s Disease” (CRAP-els dis-ease) – when one cannot distinguish between fruit and excrement. Example: “Ed, yer eatin’ a damned turd again! We gotta stop goin’ for walks in the horse orchard!”
“Tickeat” (TICK-EET) – a cover-charge “proof-of-purchase” coupon for entry into eateries.
“Colore” (co-LORE) – interesting legends about various hues and pigments. Example: “Grampa, tell us more stories about the Lonely Little Rainbow!”
“Moretorium” (mor-eh-TOR-ium) – a period of time for the discussion the of the problem of not acquiring enough things. Example: “Sue, we need help. This “save the earth/re-purpose/sustainability/simplicity fuss is really getting me down. We need a moretorium on that!”
“PEEP” (PEEP) – what a Dyslexic hears when a baby bird chirps. Example: “I just heard a baby bird!” “What did it say?” “It said ‘PEEP’!” “Weird, because when I hear a baby bird it says ‘PEEP’!” “Not me. I hear ‘PEEP’!!” “Wow. That’s SO weird! because I hear ‘PEEP’!!”
“Turdgid” (TUR-dgid) – an especially pompous and odious creep. Example: “I’ve had it with Baron von Snifflepoot. Toss his lacy derriere outa here, STAT!”
“Flybotomy” (fli-BOT-o-me) – The process of bloodletting people who think they can soar like the birds. Example: “Theodorus, come down from that tree – it’s time for your procedure! And what did you do to the top of my car!!!!?????”
“Tickticktick” (tik tik tik) – The discovery of blood-sucking insects in your pocket watch. Example: “Jeez, spray that thing with DDT, would ya?!!”
“Witdrawal” (wit-DRAW-l) – Dry humor expressed with a deep Southern American accent. Example: “Thay-et joke bout th’drill? Ya’ll, t’ain’t funny even one lil’bit…”
“Addrift” (AD-drift) – The state of meandering confusion of someone who simply does not understand basic mathematics. Example: “I SAID ‘I DON’T KNOW!!!’ Whadya mean ‘two plus two’???!!!”
“Palvin” (PAL-vin) – my buddy Alvin. Example: “See ya later, Palvin.”
“Harlequeen” (HAR-lih-kween) – same as “Harlequin”. No difference. Example unnecessary.
“Monosyllabiac” (MONO-sy-lay-bee-ack) – a female born with one lip. Example: “Wow, I’ve never seen one like it before… NOT that there’s anything wrong with that…”
“Squinterior” (skwin-TEER-e-or) – the results created by a color blind interior decorator. Example: “Oh my god. Where’s my Dramamine??!!”
“Sqwish” (SKWISH) – the act of ruining the dreams of another. Example: “You’ll NEVER be a good looking woman even if you have the surgery, put it in a bottle, take the hormones, and practice walking in those shoes till the cows come home! You’re an ugly man and that’s that!!”
“Monstruation” (MONS-tru-ay-shun) – a REALLY BAD female monthly periodic shedding of the uterus lining. Example: “I want to die. This is the Godzilla of periods!”
“Cacaphony” (CACA-fony) – Loud, dirty tricks. Example: “You may have thought the rubber doggy-doo was funny, but it made me scream and puke when I pulled back the sheets!”
“Cabanana” (caba-NAN-a) – a small hut made entire of Chiquita Brand fruit cast-offs. Example: “I just kept slipping and falling in your house – THAT’S why I’m outside!”
“Epiphony” (eppy-fony) – the absolute central moment of a life built on lies. Example: “If I get away with this one last deal, I’ll be on Easy Street!”

 

Thank you so much.  I’ll be here every Wednesday and Friday night through July.  Now you. Come on up!

 

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You’re the Genie-of-us !!

February 28, 2010 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

 

A few interesting bits of auto / eco / design news:

The original land speed record for a steam powered automobile was set in 1906: 127.659 miles per hour. That record HELD until 2009! After 104 years of efforts, a new steam powered vehicle made it to 139.43 mph.
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The world’s fastest production car now offers an electric version, which, though significantly slower, can still top-out at 208 mph, and do 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. THAT is serious stuff for any car let alone an electric car. Unfortunately, this car has the name “Ultimate Aero”. Why not call it “Biggie Fast”? No less embarrassing. Those lab boys should never brand their own experiments. Leave it to the other professionals.
(P.S.: The Bugatti Veyron is no longer THE fastest. 258 miles per hour isn’t enough. Glory is indeed a fleeting thing, even at the cost of two million bucks.)
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The Dutch at Delft University have designed a solar powered vehicle using 2,120 solar cells. The vehicle weighs only 350 pounds, and can do 90 mph… when the sun is out, of course. It’s one weird looking thing. Its looks like a tiny aircraft carrier with 3 wheels under it. Google the “Nuna5″ car built by the Nuon Team.
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A new world land speed record has been set for a wind-powered vehicle (and talk about weird looking – I can’t even describe it) that reached 126.2 mph. It’s called the “Greenbird”. Google the thing.
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The JCB Dieselmax car broke the world diesel-powered land speed record with a 350.092 mph. Its body design has a superb drag coeffient (cd) of .147, and gets 11 miles to the gallon while using 1,500 horsepower. Astounding.
Here’s some perspective: The lower the cd #, the faster and more efficient a car moves through air. A really awful design would be as high as .50 cd. A typical contemporary car with a modicum of airflow design falls in the .35 – .30 zone. Currently, a .29 or down as low as .25 is superb for a passenger or sports car. Very serious designers were behind those results. The JCB is NOT a passenger car, so many passenger design elements could be ignored, but .14 is ungodly slippery.
However, this LOW high speed DIESEL land record (yes, 350 mph is low) tells you diesel will never be the fuel of choice for any vehicle activity. It carries less power, burns dirtier, etc., but an improvement in diesel IS an improvement in diesel. (The world land speed record is 780.34 mph.)
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One thing you’ll notice in most of these exotic experimental vehicles is the use of tail fins. Although their addition on American cars of the late ’50′s was sold as fashion, and had little in the way of function, they DID help “stabilize” cars at high speeds (silly-slow by contemporary standards), and DID serve a minor aerodynamic function. We’ve been raised to think they were total b.s. – mere expressions of the American psyche. Not so. Give credit where credit is due.

Design is alive and well, as ALWAYS. These “Laboratory” autos WILL eventually provide new solutions for daily, practical transportation. If the “green” movement takes hold and survives beyond the fashion phase (of which I am not yet convinced), these studies will be of greatest use.
Reading about cars at this level is like reading any other “insider-geek” periodical material coming out of other labs – whether genetic coding, interplanetary travel, or computer hardware. Research – Creativity – Artistry – it’s all the same.

For example, last night, my wife and I watched “The September Issue“. Here’s my little review:

“The September Issue” (2008): Documentary. Vogue Magazine puts out its largest issue at the beginning of the fashion season: September. The rivalries, power plays, crushed souls, hopeful dreamers, wannabees and posers cower around the woman who wields all the power: editor Anna Wintour. With a glance, she can make or break a career. It’s a bizarre, interesting, shallow, creative, pretentious, dynamic world full of self-aggrandizement and perpetual re-marketing. Fascinating, and full of warnings. Wouldn’t want to live there.”

What I didn’t say was I like watching the bizarre runway shows and the fashions presented there, and I LOVE fashion photography. The theater of the model runway is fun and has very little to do with clothing. Couture fashion is like any other experimental Lab (but with less consequence to the “advancement” of the species). It’s full of Ideas on steroids looking for a reason to exist.

Fashion photography is a division of the photo world barely related to the others, but it DOES express the world in which we currently exist, whether you can spot it or not. The fact is, Art cannot do anything BUT express its Time and Place, so it does what it must do.

Auto appearance designers often watch the clothing designers for clues about seasonal / year color palettes. I’ll just give you a quickie idea: When the economy is in the tank and we are in a recession / depression / war, the palette drops bright, vibrant colors, and switches over to the black-grays-grayed-white. We, as humans, sense bright colors as celebratory, optimistic, and expressive. During bad times THIS is seen as blatant, ostentatious, and rude. We should behave and appear somber.

You knew that. You may have not put it into words, that’s all. Watch the road. 9 out of 10 cars will be black or gray/silver or white or a very grayed-version of a color. You may see a darkened blue or red once in awhile. That’s the 1 out of 10, or less. It’s not a random event. “WE” are expressing our current views on Life by our purchasing choices.

How are such things determined (so sales go well)? There are test groups, focus groups, and surveys of course, on top of the tried and true concepts such as economic and socio-political conditions. We are more predictable than Puxatony Phil.

I don’t mind. I think this stuff is fascinating. With some thought, you can learn to stroll through a KMart and decipher our current emotional condition in no time. You’ll be the Life of the Party. Your pals will think you’re a genie-of-us.

 

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You Can Die Now

December 5, 2009 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

 

Singular works of Art about which I have said “If they never produced another thing… THIS would have made their lives worthwhile” include:

Wim Wenders, film, “Wings of Desire”

Frank Lloyd Wright, home, “Falling Water”

 

Brian Eno, album, “Music for Films”
Ad Reinhardt, screen print, “Black on Black” series.
Leonard Cohen, album “Leonard Cohen”
Edvard Munch, lithograph, “Madonna”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, book, “The Little Prince”
Duke Ellington, song, “Passion Flower”
Thomas Edison, the electric light
Benny Goodman, live, Carnegie Hall, 1938, “Sing Sing Sing”
Melanie Safka, album, “Candles in the Rain”
Enzo Ferrari, automobile, 1961 Ferrari California
Jimmy Spheeris, album, “Isle of View”
David Lynch, film, “Eraserhead”
John Steinbeck, book, “Grapes of Wrath”
Cab Calloway, song, “Saint James Infirmary”
Rembrandt van Rijn, grouping, etchings of every day life
Raymond Loewy, automobile, 1963 Studebaker Avanti
Vincent van Gogh, painting, “Crows over a wheat field”

There are more, of course.

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Vincebus Eruptum Ad Infinitum

October 12, 2009 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

(The following was written 11-04-07. I am re-posting it in honor of Dickie Peterson, who passed 10-09):

My ear plugs are still in my shirt pocket, and twelve hours later I’m still rockin’ my head and whistlin’ shards-n-slivers of songs by Blue Cheer.
I usually write as I think… and slowly find my point. This time I want to be more specific. Last night, I was at the kick off concert of a new tour of “Blue Cheer”. For some odd but lucky reason, they chose to begin this tour in a small club (“The Jewish Mother”) in the ocean side tourist town of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Adding to the luck, my good friend James Duval, involved in music and radio, had two professional passes, and asked me to join him.
Yet, I was hesitant. My reasons:
1) Most tours of “old” groups are lame and embarrassing, especially when the original members – now dead, in a coma, preaching, or selling real estate – are “replaced”. Slow motion “Menudo-ism”.
2) Most tours include so much crowd-pleasing nostalgia it’s lame and embarrassing. For god’s sake, allow, no, INSIST that artists MOVE AHEAD, no matter HOW much you or they love their old work!
3) Blue Cheer was always billed as the LOUDEST band in rock history. A dubious cause for billing, but having never heard them in concert, I wasn’t sure if it was true, and I did NOT want to damage my ear drums (now that I no longer believe my body is immortal or equal to Superman). I envisioned blood leaking out of my ears at about the fifth number. (Btw, yes, they WERE loud, but I’ve heard louder: front row for The Rolling Stones, Denver, 1965, and, small club for Gang of Four, Virginia Beach, c. 1984 – which was their very last concert.) I brought my ear plugs.
4) I’m always afraid of a negatively memorable experience getting in the way of my appreciation of the original music… like they turn a classic rock song into a Las Vegas toe-tapper. More lame and embarrassing potential.
5) And, finally, would these guys still have their “chops”?
I went with James. And, if we’re going, why mess around? Get there EARLY, scope the place for best listening, photographing, quick bathroom access, and autograph-seeking positions – and then hang onto it through tag-team tactics… which we did, though it was a small club and no one was “cheated” of the full experience.
First, an opening band. Whatever. After they were done, the stage was stripped and reloaded with Blue Cheer’s equipment. They were ready to begin about 10-10:30 pm. I hate to say this, but that’s almost the time I’m thinking of going to bed anymore. “Why, in the old daze I’d …”
It’s odd… seeing people you’ve “known” for 40 years – those guys – photographed staring out from their psychedelic album covers – those young turks full of lean-and-mean in-your-face innovations, sub-cultural representation, and momentary fashion statements. Out walk three men in their sixties… and yeh, they’re still talkin’ the talk… but how can they still be walkin’ the walk?! The TIMES have changed – and the TIMES, not to mention age – maybe even improvements – seep into all of us. Three men in their sixties.
“Dickie” Peterson, original lead vocalist and bass guitarist, spoke. Sure, he carried his habitual lingo as do we all. It clothes us all within specific decades, groups, and locations. You utter anything, and someone understands a little of your history. His voice sounds like Wolfman Jack’s, his lingo was that of Haight-Ashbury but with a wiser, tougher edge. He was thin, had shoulder length gray hair and sunglasses, and ready to rock. Rock heavy.
Paul Whaley, original drummer (after Eric Albronda), sat down at his equipment like he’d arrived at his office, and the drums were his desk. He looked over his equipment as though they were memos, settled in, and didn’t spend any time checking out his audience for the night’s work in this town. He was internalized. (He reminded me of Charlie Watts of the Stones. All business.)
“Duck” MacDonald is the “new” member, having only been with the group TWENTY years. Newbie! Greenhorn!! A big man with long, thinning brown hair and a lead guitar. He seemed like a guy with whom you’d share a random beer and he’d never bother mentioning he was a member of Blue Cheer.
Okay, here THEY were. Here WE were. Let’s get started. Let’s just SEE what happens… maybe I won’t even need my earplugs. Maybe their amps are turned down and they’ll pull out accordions and tambourines in a minute anyhow.
Huh uh!! NO DAMNED WAY! They hit this road RUNNIN’ baby, I mean RUNNIN’! I can’t give you the set list, but many of the first songs were from their new album, so this was NOT a nostalgia tour. (Check marks in the “GOOD” column.) LOUD!? No one, not even the rude, mouthy jerk nearby who kept playing with his ponytail like it was his weenie scheduled for amputation next week, could speak while they played. Ear plugs IN. Don’t kid yourself. Bring them. Nothing is worth losing your hearing, and it IS possible. Your ear drums are NOT immortal.
Eventually Blue Cheer brought in older work, which included Rock Me Baby, Doctor Please, Out of Focus, Parchment Farm, Second Time Around, and yes, Summertime Blues. “Summertime Blues” was introduced NOT as “This was one of our huge hits and let me tell you a few interesting stories about what it did for us….” but simply as “Eddie Cochran’s hit”. Impressive, Dickie. They continue to use strong, sometimes shifting rhythms, heavy bass guitar, sinuous lead guitar wailing and spinning, and harsh, unromantic vocals. James was busy rockin’ and bobbin’ to them, with a smile on his face. James is a young man. He has NO nostalgia built in here. HE had pure, unadulterated appreciation for THESE THREE MUSICIANS, HERE, NOW.
It added up to an experience unlike any other. I tried to attach them to Led Zeppelin. Nope. Jimi Hendrix Experience. No! Jefferson Airplane? NO way. In NO time, I’d eliminated any of the other Sixties innovators, and saw only a long list of groups Blue Cheer had inspired in the Sixties, Seventies, and beyond. They are who THEY are, and it’s music you either appreciate or you don’t.
Listening back to “Vincebus Eruptum” – the album that put them on the counter-culture map – it was, of course, a more produced, cleaner sound with good balance (compared to live in a small club), and is one of MY favorites of all time. When I’m in THAT mood, no other album fits. When I’m in the mood for “Golden Earring”, or “Devo”, or “Johnny Mathis” or “Mary Wells”, or “Tammy Wynette”, or “[you fill in the blank]“, you MUST have THEM and no one else will do. Well, Blue Cheer is to Psychedelic Heavy Metal what Little Richard was to Rock and Roll, Run DMC was to Rap, or Patti Smith was to Punk.
They did one encore. I am NOT a fan of the “encore”. It has long been a fake ritual, and I think artists give enough as it is. Don’t ask more. Enjoy what you’ve been given, and don’t barter the value down by asking for more – More – MORE – FREE – extra music, Extra time, EXTRA energy!!! Stop it!!! Whoop and holler and applaud for an hour if you want, but don’t expect them to play for you until YOU’RE tired and YOU walk out on THEM.
Oh, and: DON’T talk over them, and DON’T play with your ponytail every 45 seconds. Someone’s going to get very angry, and tell you to shut the hell up, or snip your weenie.
-
Once they were done, James and I went down to the stage and waited patiently until they had free moments. I asked “Dickie” to sign my “Vincebus Eruptum” vinyl album cover. (Bring three pens. At least one ALWAYS fails when you don’t expect it.) I said “Thanks so much for coming tonight. I brought your album, which I’ve carried with me everywhere for the last forty years.” He said “So have I, man, so have I.” GREAT response. I thanked him again, wished him luck on the tour, and he thanked me for coming. “My pleasure!” I said. I then asked Paul to sign it, which he did, I shook his hand also, thanked him, he thanked me, and James and I exited. (“Duck” was busy with others on the opposite side of the stage.)
Outside, I threw my arm over James and said “WOW! Thank YOU for bringing me! This turned out to be a great concert, and none of the hesitations I told you I had were justified. THIS was the real thing. The REAL thing!!” He agreed.
See Blue Cheer (including my autographed album) in this gallery (first seven photos) on my site:

http://futuresantiques.com/items/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=3520

More on Blue Cheer at these links:

http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/bluecheer2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Cheer

 

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Son of “Wha’choo Say?!”

June 16, 2009 by , under The Antiques, Design and Art World.

 

I wrote this list a few years ago, and have tweaked it a little. It’s holding up pretty well over time:

 

THE MOST UNIMPRESSIVE THING YOU CAN SAY TO AN ANTIQUES DEALER:
“Our family used t’have one of them!”
THE MOST COMMON THING YOU CAN SAY TO THAT SAME PERSON:
“What’s yer best price?”
THE MOST PLEASANT THING YOU CAN SAY TO SAME:
“I love your store. I’ll be back.”
THE MOST HELPFUL THING YOU CAN SAY:
“I’d like to buy this.”
THE DUMBEST THING:
“Uh, do you buy things?”
THE RUDEST THING:
“I don’t like this kinda stuff. You gotta bathroom?”
THE THING MOST LIKELY TO GET YOU TOSSED:
“Don’t tell ME to control MY child!!!!”
THE THING MOST LIKELY TO ADVERTISE YOUR IGNORANCE:
Talking.
THE THING MOST LIKELY TO KEEP THE OWNER ON YOUR TAIL:
Enter the store with a big bag.

THE THING MOST LIKELY TO CREATE TRUST IN THE OWNER:
Enter, and ask where they’d like you to put your big bag.
THE THING MOST LIKELY TO IMPROVE YOUR DAY:
Put yourself in someone else’s place.

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