The train has left the station and preparations for UpRise 2011 have begun! Lots to tell you about, including words of support from Bonnie Greer (see pic), but for now check out a piece in the Evening Standard which came out today.
As ‘humans’ we tend to see ourselves as very different to ‘animals’. While we sit subjectively at the top of the evolutionary scale, and I look into the eyes of these primates I know which I’d prefer staring back at me during rush hour on the underground. I’m thinking there’d be less pushing with a Bonobo.
James’ photographs of Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Bonobos and Orangutans use the aesthetic of the humble passport photograph and infer a strong sense of identity and character. I can’t help but feel that if we only knew what they were thinking, there would certainly be a lot we could learn.
Our Ansel is getting to be a dab hand [or is it mouth] at this public speaking malarkey. UpRise were invited to part of the ‘Art Against Cuts’ panel at this years Progressive London. His esteemed panellists included Bonnie Greer, Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger, Helen Gardener and Cllr Tulip Sidiq , who all said their bit about the recent cuts to the sector.
Ansel’s talk focussed on the need to rethink the definition and value of creativity, its outcomes and how to go about successfully engaging the wider society so they in turn become vocal advocates for the arts. Bonnie Greer was also in agreement, pointing out that the arts need to be able to measure the ‘outcomes’ in this new economy.
Interestingly enough there were many parallels to our last The Wide Awake Club: Staying Relevant in Changing Times, where we spoke about models that can demonstrate their impact in a digestible fashion.
Other speakers throughout the day included the organisations front man, Ken Livingston, Diane Abbott and the formidable Mendi Hasan from the New Statesman.
When you’ve got a big story to tell it’s best to keep it simple while finding a truth that everyone can relate to. That should be the same for all communications in fact, and with James Mollison‘s Where Children Sleep book project in conjunction with Fabrica, we have the perfect case in point.
Fabrica is Benetton’s communication research centre in Treviso, Italy, and are a case study in their own right. The creative partnership has seen Mollison take a lateral yet personal approach to dealing with the ‘complex situations and social issues affecting children.
Much can be said by looking at the place where a child lays his or her head at night.
Well acted, well scripted and very very early. Despite the wedge Formula 1‘s journalistic vultures have attempted to drive between the two McLaren drivers – you know, the ‘Brit vs. Brit’, ‘there can be only one’ narrative – Lewis and Jenson appear to be getting on quite well.
I’ll save any further musings for my F1 blog, but in a time of flagging commercial support for this most expensive of sports, Vodafone continue to maximise their investment in the McLaren team with this comedic viral spot.
There’s a beautiful story behind the late great J DIlla‘s album cover photography. Video director Andrew Gura tells the full story here, but the long and short of it is that Stones Throw Art Director guru Jeff Jank needed photography for the 2006 Donut’s EP. J Dilla was in no position to provide any due his ailing health, and that’s where Gura’s video-shoot offcuts came in.
Gura provided 3 stills from that shoot for possible inclusion on the cover. In turn, what at first might look like a generic shoot spawned what even J Dilla’s mother considered to be the perfect encapsulation of her son’s spirit.
Behind the smile lies a beautiful story indeed.
When campaigns about the plight of young people suffering from preventable illnesses become indistinguishable from commercials with talking dogs, donkeys and the like, you know you’re in a mirky world of charity campaigning that has tended to beat a very old and tired drum.
Save the Children‘s No Child Born To Die campaign is different. It uses a compelling insight into a common, yet commonly ignored subject. It’s emotive, cinematic and utterly compelling, which is why unlike so many of its predecessors, it works.
“Paper money will always return to its intrinsic value, zero” – Voltaire 1729
The word Versailles apparently derives from the Latin word versare, meaning “to keep turning, turn over and over”. Such esoteric [wiki derived] knowledge ties in nicely with the above quote, and even better still with the work of our new Junior Art Director Samuel Craven, who will be exhibiting at Versailles: a group show featuring 24 emerging artists.
Sam will be exhibiting an A5 piece titled ‘Eight Hundred Pounds’, ingeniously made entirely from the shredded remains of the amount he sold Thirty Thousand Pounds for. Yes, that really is £30,000 hanging on a wall.
Voltaire may have been spot on with his assessment, but while the paper returns to its intrinsic value, Sam proves that the idea – as always – remains priceless.
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The private view is on February 10th at The Gallery on Redchurch Street, London, E2 7DP.
Dammmmmmn. On the same day I realized James Blake had sampled Aaliyah, my flat mate showed me the video for The Wilhelm Scream, directed by Alexander Brown.
This video effortlessly mirrors the artwork for the album (created by Alex as well) and continues the tone of voice throughout Blake’s work perfectly. If you break it down into its most basic language, what Alex has achieved is a four minute and thirty seven second film of a man in an empty room singing a very slow song and made it look absolutely slick.
Blake has stripped back his sound to its rawest form, with the odd essential kick and snare. Alex has responded with a similarly simple yet powerful visual that reinforces what the music was communicating.
Too nice not to share. Electric Wire Hustle get in the mix for Spine Radio.
Tracklist:
J Todd – 00antiskit00
Big Boi – Shutterbugg
Blue Daisy – Hunterz
Dam Funk – Mirrors
Femi Kuti – Tell Me (Jeremy Sole’s Musaics Remix Featuring Ticklah)
Floating Points – Love Me Like This (ftps remix)
Siriusmo – Lastdear
Julien Dyne – IncredulousFlying Lotus – Parisian Goldfish
Flying Lotus – Do the Astral Plane
Kleer – You
Metro Area – Miura
James Blake – CMYK
Dorian Concept – Trilingual Dance Sexperience
Hudson Mohawke – Fuse
Joy Orbison – Hyph Mngo
Benny Tones – Automatic For The People
Catch it here.