Newspaper blackout gratuitous unboxing

As a long-time reader and would-be patron of Austin Kleon and his blackout poems, I was glad to see his work featured on Jen Bekman's 20x200. I bought How It Works last week. This afternoon I came home and saw that I had received a parcel. I've got mail

I made my way inside for a better camera and a better view of its labeled glory.

20x200

The envelope, constructed of a firm cardboard, features a well-designed exhortation to avoid bending it. One can open it by pulling a strip along the top edge of the reverse side.

Method for to open

Inside, in between two protective boards is a plastic sleeve containing 1) a certificate of authenticity with the artist's signature and 2) a short document with bio, statement, and information about the print and 3) the print in question.

Certified

Aforementioned print uses archival pigment inks on 100% cotton rag paper with a matte finish, and will look rather fetching when I find a frame (Austin recommends this one):

I bought art






Solaris (1972)

Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. I like this one much more in hindsight than when I was actually watching it. But I have to say it’s given much more post-viewing food-for-thought than its cousin, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Now that it’s over, I kind of want to watch it again. It’s much more introspective than the Kubrick, and it’s beautifully shot with some truly “wow” moments. I give it a thumbs-up for when you’ve got some patience to let it linger. Roger Ebert on Solaris. Phillip Lopate on Solaris (“Watching this 169-minute work is like catching a fever, with night sweats and eventual cooling brow”).







Throne of Blood

Throne of Blood is the first Kurosawa film I’ve seen. It’s very Macbeth-ian, but set in old Japan. That dude’s wife is super-creepy and awesome. I loved the minimal soundtrack and the patience with some of the scenes, especially during the first half. Seemed like the last half-hour dragged a bit.



September 26, 2009

wnbrgr:

i12bent:

Certified genius day, today:

Birthdays of Glenn Gould, William Faulkner and Mark Rothko!

Glenn Gould, a pianist like no other, and a personality whose talent exceeded the narrow arena of the performing artist: Sep. 25, 1932 - 1982

Photo by Gordon Parks, NYC, March 1956 - LIFE

Caption: Brilliant young Canadian pianist Glenn Gould laughing as engineers let him hear how his singing spoiled his recording of the Bach Goldberg Variations after which he offered to wear a gas mask to muffle his songs, at a Columbia recordling studio.





Awesome Tapes from Africa

I’m not trying to be an exoticist here, but it’s often easier to find pleasant surprises in things that are totally unfamiliar. Also, there’s no fear of a nice groove being ruined by crap lyrics, because I don’t understand any of it.

Awesome Tapes from Africa