philly

Morbid Mural

Philadelphia has a shitload of murals, the people living here know that perfectly well. It's got a ton of inspirational ones with Paul Robeson, thriving communities, green gardens... And it also has some [or at least one] artsy morbid mural.

I spotted the mural above around 2nd & Race Sts a couple weekends ago and forgot to post it until now. It's in a parking lot on the side of a N-S street, I'm pretty sure it was 2nd St. You can't see the whole thing as you walk southbound. You initially see the stem of the roses, then the leaves, then the whole blooming rose. Then your eye is drawn further inward, deeper into the parking lot as you walk further south. You see the head of a black swan with a fiery red beak and matching eyes. You follow the gracefully curving neck to... a black-blooded stump. The black continues into the next frame where a lone white, dripping skull of what looks like a large non-domestic cat gazing to the east into the final surreal frame.

I was quite happy to find this mural as it presents a nice change of pace from the more realist murals around town. While a girl's arms sprouting into a leafy tree isn't exacty "real" a bodiless swan head and cat skull are a bit further along the way of nuttiness that I like.

Seen It: Zoe Strauss @ ICA

I mentioned previously how I was planning on attending Zoe Strauss's opening of her Ramp Project at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Lady and I went over to the ICA for the first time and were both blown away by the exhibit.

We searched around for a bit wandering through the ground level pieces and ended up in a back room where I spied a staircase which could be a ramp and sure enough, that was it. We started walking up the ramp and I could see it, the inner side of the huge translucent blowup of the woman hitting her crack pipe. It's qutie incredible. It can be seen on the east side of 36th St, best viewed from slightly further up the street to minimize that huge tree. About thirty or so photos line the next ramp leading up to another set of rooms. In the landing area in between the ramps there's a slide show projected onto the large wall of Zoe's photos.

As we were walking up the first ramp, I started to look for Zoe. I've only seen a couple photos of her and a short video of her. I heard a voice and I thought it could be her. She was talking to someone, but I thought fuck it, she said to butt right in so I did. I tapped her arm and she turned around and she somehow knew it was me without me saying a word. We hugged and chatted for a sec and then I let her get back to the rest of her many many fans there.

Art's a very subjective thing. Honestly, I dislike most contemporary art. I just don't "get" it. A lot of that is my fault. But I just have a hard time relating to the vision behind a tangle of bicycle chains or a video of a picnic. It's just not me. I "get" photography and I love me some photographic art. Zoe's work is wonderful. It is documentaritive [is that a word?], novel and just simply beautiful. I know that many people don't "get" photography. I know that even more people consider photography "fine art" let alone, god forbid color photography! My heavens! How crass! Fuck you. But, then again, fuck me for not liking Jackson Pollack, right? Fuck everyone. Wear a dome.

Getting back on track... Take a stroll though Zoe's world and read up on what she's up to. If you like what you see, head on over to the ICA [118 S. 36th St] and see it in person. If you don't like her stuff, there's always tangles of bike chains, holograms, dioramas, shopping bags, picnic videos and much more fun art at the show.

After the May 16th PA Democratic Senate primary [vote Chuck!] I plan on heading up to NYC to see her 2006 Whitney Biennial work which is going on through May 28th. But before that, her "Under I-95" show is on for May 6, 1p - 3p, under the I-95 ramp at Front & Mifflin Sts. That should be a blast.

This girl is everywhere!

Zoe Strauss: ICA Ramp Project

Philly's everywhere gal Zoe Strauss, [that 2005 Pew grant winning, 2006 Whitney Biennial showing artist with a flare for the other side of the tracks] has been ridiculously busy these past few months.

Tonight is the opening reception at the Institute of Contemporary Art at UPenn. Her Ramp Project reception runs from 6p - 8p at the ICA [118 S. 36th St.]. A little sneak peek as to what's inside over at her blog. I plan on being there and finally getting a chance to meet her in person! This girl needs a hug for all this work.

And yes, that's a photo of a woman lighting her crack pipe, you got a problem with that?

Photo: Zoe Strauss

South St Bridge Graffiti

I took a stroll across South St bridge for the first time over the weekend. I had crossed it several times by car, but never on foot. I had been told by Miss Plum [one half of The Unharshed Mellow] that there was a good amount of graffiti all over the bridge and indeed there was.

The grouping above was my favorite out of them all. The double pasteup of W with his codpiece flightsuit with the infamous "Mission Accomplished!" as a header and footer juxtaposed by a graphic "No War" illustration. The "No War" illustration brings to mind Edvard Munch's The Scream, but this time, the eyes are covered, not the ears.

There still exists a blood-curdling inaudible scream coming out of the mouth of the person in the illustration, but now, s/he cannot bear to look at the atrocities behind them either. A soldier with a boot on top of a seemingly dead civilian and more soldiers standing on top of a tank. The tank draws me to the image of Tank Man from nearly two decades ago.

Politics aside, it's a nice walk and has a busy view back towards Center City. Twenty-three shots up in a flickr set.

Fonz!

My new favorite stencil. The Fonz, by Mick.

Zoe Strauss Video Interview

Philly born and raised photographer Zoe Strauss is in this year's Whitney Biennial, one of, if not the most prestigious contemporary art shows in the world. They pick from thousands of artists over the course of two years. They saw Zoe's incredible photos and they rightfully asked her to exhibit her photos up in NYC for the 2006 show. The Biennial runs through May 28th.

Last week, she was interviewed on NY's public broadcasting service Channel 13 and the interview is now online. Follow the link and you'll see her face next to this caption: "Whitney Biennial: Contemporary arts museum spotlights emerging artists." She's on for most of the second half of the segment.

Zoe's got some amazing stuff which I've been clicking through for quite some time now. Go grab a few pieces of her work before the prices skyrocket! I'm sure they will, she's worth it.

Give Me Your Tired

The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
by Emma Lazarus

I don't think I ever read the full poem before, but after reading Paul Krugman's latest, I thought I should.

Three weeks ago ~300K marched in the streets of Chicago in protest of HR 4437: Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005.

This passed Saturday, the 25th, ~500K marched in the streets of Los Angeles in protest of HR 4437: Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005.

On Monday April 10th, there will be a similar march here in Philadelphia, San Antonio, Chicago, Denver, Las Cruces, LA, Milwaukee, NYC, Tuscon and Washington for a National Day of Action on Immigrant Rights. The Philadelphia rally will be at LOVE Park from Noon to 2p [I hope it will last longer than that].

The borders are porous, but the answer is not erecting a 700 mile long wall in haste.

Alan Moore's Grudges

Just read this NY Times story about Alan Moore, the incredibly influential graphic novel writer. The man who wrote V for Vendetta which has been made into a film by the Wachowski brothers and is due out in theaters Friday. Moore wanted nothing to do with the film version and said about the film

I've read the screenplay. It's rubbish.

It seems like he's been wronged all throughout his life in one way or another. He sure holds his grudges. I see a lot of me in how he has handled himself through the years. I think he's a sometimes misunderstood unabashed and completely justfied asshole. Like me.

Gordon Parks Died

I realize that, even within the limits of my childhood vision, I was on a search for pride, meanwhile taking measurable glimpses of how certain blacks, who were fed up with racism, rebelled against it
--Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks was one of those living legends people talk about. He died at the age of 93.

Mosaic Mural

I walked by this mural over on Chestnut St between 7th and 8th Sts yesterday. It's mostly made out of tiles! Tiny about 1/2" tiles on what seems to be 2' x 2' square boards which were then transferred onto the side of the building. I'm told that the northern half of the mural was painted by inmates from a nearby jail somewhere.

More photos of Philadelphia on my photoblog