#built of people who only cherish products and not art

[scyphan790]

I don't blame people for not knowing, partly because the tumblr account doesn't display it, but this account posts genAI

This post, directly sourcing from their own link, is genAI

They've gone from sharing other artists' work, to sharing other genAI and NFTs, to now flat out using genAI themselves for posts

So for anyoe who cares, now you know and now you can unfollow them and leave them to disappear into obscurity

GenAI is a blatant disrespect to the craft, you are not making art

>> Rhubarbes lab  - Rhubarbes_lab << 

[planethell]

On Delain’s Breakup/new direction

Charlotte’s Statment:

Delain has been my world for nearing 16 years, which is half of my life and my entire career. So it is with a heavy heart that I am confirming that Delain will continue as Martijn’s solo project, and my involvement with Delain ends here.

At this time, I know that you might have questions about the ‘why’ in all of this. I fully understand and respect that. Simply put, it is the sad conclusion of more than a year of trying to find solutions to built up grievances. Part of me feels like I’m letting all of you down, I’d like you to know that this decision was not taken lightly and I apologise to those of you who had high hopes of seeing all of us together live on stage again after lockdown. Until recently, I thought this might still be in the cards for us as well.

In the last 15 years we have released music that we have poured our heart and soul into. We have toured the world, rocked so many stages and met so many wonderful fans; I cherish all of that beyond measure. Every eye locked during a lyric, every front row high five, every after show hug (remember hugs?) From the sweaty hole in the wall to the Wembleys, Wackens, and Paradisos of our career. The memories we - band, crew, fans - have made together, will last forever. And in the end, they are more important to me than the differences that we couldn’t overcome, so that’s where I’d like the focus of the narrative to be.

So where do we go from here? Otto, Timo and Joey are also leaving Delain, but will carry on making music with their own projects. Make sure you’re following what they’re up to. I can’t wait to see and hear how they will take the world by storm. Martijn will continue with Delain, and although it may be painful at first to see a Delain that I’m not a part of, I do wish him the very best in this new chapter. Like any relationship, our creative partnership has required work at times, but it has also been incredibly fruitful and I am grateful for all the things that we made together. Finally, I hope that Delain remains a positive force in everyone’s lives. We Are The Others, always will be, and none of this changes that.

As for myself, I’ll keep writing and performing music. It is the thing that gives me joy and purpose. I’m beyond grateful for my amazing community on Patreon, something that was supposed to be a side project from Delain, but will now be the primary place that I release music and create art and community.

This platform allows me to keep creating independently and I am thankful for all patrons that make this possible. I am dedicated to bring you my absolute best, and look forward to making magic with all of you.

I welcome the future with open arms, and I hope to see you on my journey. You can find the latest at http://charlottewessels.nl

With love,

Charlotte

Otto’s Statment:

A year and a day after the last Delain show, it is with heavy heart I inform you all I am no longer part of Delain. Charlotte, Timo and Joey are also no longer part of the band.

I played my very first Delain show in March 2010 in the Garage, London. Almost exactly 10 years later, Timo, Joey and I sent an e-mail to tender our resignation from the band.

Everyone close to us knew that Delain was always a very intense working environment. I could deal with it, because touring with Delain was my biggest passion. And the amazing shows we did, the great fans we had and awesome bands we toured with, all made it worth it. I really started at the bottom when it came to touring, playing for crowds of 10 people, driving thousands of kilometers crammed in a hot and smelly van, and sleeping on the couch at promotor’s houses, so I’ve always been immensely thankful of the level Delain operated on.

In 2018 and 2019 however, the atmosphere in the band deteriorated. This came to an all time low during the 2019 fall tours in the USA and Europe. While these tours were successes in themselves, with great crowd responses, a very good production and amazing road crew, good sales and great (support)bands, it became increasingly clear that Martijn was very unhappy to be on tour, and unhappy about how Delain had developed from his own project, to the band it became. It was obvious to everyone we couldn’t continue in this way.

So now, almost a year after I (and Timo, and Joey,) decided to leave Delain, it’s official. Charlotte is also no longer part of Delain, so Martijn will be continuing Delain on his own. Over the past year I’ve been disappointed, furious, heartbroken, frustrated, and most of all I have just really really missed touring. But as you all know, we all happen to be in that same boat. Around the time we decided to quit, COVID-19 became the monster it is today.

This is by no means goodbye. I may be ‘getting too old for this shit’ but have no intention of retiring! I will definitely do everything to be back on the road whenever COVID-19 measures permit shows again. Meanwhile, I’ll be working on play-through videos and I’ll keep sharing my photography adventures.

A lot of the memories I made over the past 10 years are the very best of my life. I want to thank everyone who was a part of it, Delain fans all over the world, bandmates and road crew, and bands we toured with in particular. I wish Charlotte, Timo, Joey and Martijn the very best in the musical adventures that lay ahead of them. For their stories, check out their and Delain's Facebook statements

Martjin’s Statment:

Delain Goes Back to its Roots.

For the last year or so, the collaboration within the band ceased to work as well as it once had. Some of us were no longer happy with the current roles in the band. We all tried very hard to find a solution for over a year, but sadly we were unable to find one.

As a result, we will all be going our own ways and pursuing our own endeavors. I am very sad our cooperation has come to end, but at the same time I am very grateful for all the years we were able to work together. Together we toured the world, shared highs and lows, and met with many successes as well as times that pushed us to learn and grow. We all enjoyed meeting our fans and making new friends all over the globe. I would like to thank my fellow bandmates and wish Timo, Otto, Joey, and especially Charlotte the very best for the future! And I hope that will mean onwards and upwards to new musical adventures for each of them!

I can’t express my gratitude enough to all of you Delainers that have supported us over so many years. Your dedication to the music and the community you created for us has been overwhelming. Even though this situation is not ideal, change never usually is at first, I hope you will continue to join Delain on its new journey. This is not the end of Delain. It’s the end of a chapter, but also the beginning of a new one.

Timo’s Statment (thanks @hauntedwhispers for telling me where to find this one)

These are the only statements I’ve seen from bandmembers so far, please feel free to add more if/when you see them

[thepermanentrainpress]

UNDER THE RADAR: APRIL 2021

As April turns a page, the new releases keep coming! This month’s Under the Radar is happy to feature Stella Soul, Vicki Lovelee, Chèlle + Mully, prOphecy sun, Druiz + Mattea Made, and Lovely Company.

1) Stella Soul - “Dance”

"Dance” shakes off all the problems you may be facing and encourages you to get up, and do just that. The trio from Vancouver keeps the mood upbeat and livened – their neo soul fusion sound layered with alt-pop and jazz. It’s a swinging, fun time; their rhythm is impeccable, combined with the standout vocal work and instrumentals/production, it creates an energy that begs for movement.

Stella Soul treats listeners to a night out on the town (remember those?) in their latest track; reminding us of that feeling when the band plays our favourite song, a freedom and joy that can’t be contained on the dance floor.

Written by: Chloe Hoy

2) Vicki Lovelee - “Crossed Off”

“If I love who I love, will I be enough?”

On “Crossed Off,” Vicki Lovelee’s Catholic upbringing and journey to self-acceptance come to life. Her dramatic pop vocals and inquisitive storytelling invite listeners to relate their own experiences to the song. Even the church bells – most often a sign of gathering or semblance of calm – could evoke anxious thoughts.

While the song underscores the hurdles that come with living your truth, it has hopeful presence, reverberating guitar, a swift heartbeat. Feel it in your chest; pull your confidence from the melody that remains.

Written by: Natalie Hoy

3) Chèlle (feat. Mully) - “If You Were Here” 

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. “If You Were Here” is that separation anxiety and dual perspective; both artists play the part with a woeful delicacy, a vulnerability that isn’t forged. In a stripped down pop ballad, what’s lost is emphasized – stolen time with people we love, the effort needed to keep a connection burning bright. Separation can only resonate with the world this past year, yet Chèlle and Mully relay it in a candid, loving strength that will surely leave you a little less lonely.

Written by: Chloe Hoy 

4) prOphecy sun - “Small”

Few words but lost in sound and thought; “Small” feels less than adequate in a world that can’t be read or fully known. Their voice is a shadowy figure hidden from view, doubts of loneliness, ordinary and invisible. However, the track itself is a haunting gem. Recorded on two smartphones and layered together, and with Joy on Drums (in a cacophonous, screeching display of instrumentation), it is a piece that surrenders to fear. 

Like the story it tells, “Small” reminds us that our own disappearing act is not far from reach. I admire their resiliency to harbor their dark emotion into their craft. SkyCat is out now.

SkyCat by prOphecy sun

Written by: Chloe Hoy

5) DruiZ (feat. Mattea Made) - “Dime” 

It’s pretty astounding what a good combination of drums and percussion can create; DruiZ’s (Daniel Ruiz) “Dime” is a masterclass in how to evoke emotion through sound. France’s Mattea Made is a striking voice of reason in the dynamic alt-rock meets dark pop cut. It lets your imagination run wild, a freedom with no constraint—a release of your desires and dreams that are so often hidden from view. 

A call towards self-reflection and communication that ever so slightly pushes you into the void, “Dime” encourages you to create your path amidst a world of questions, answers, and the in-between.

Dime (feat. Mattea Made) by DruiZ

Written by: Chloe Hoy

6) Lovely Company - “Gentle Guy”

"Gentle Guy” is care and sentiment bottled up and built into music. It exudes intimacy and contentment, the experimental band focusing on crafting their art and evoking feeling, rather than defining a genre. A limitation that hinders authenticity, the collaborative effort succeeds in showing appreciation. Their soft (and subdued groovy) tones have a persuasion to them, drawing listeners in without hesitation. It’s an embrace that isn’t forced, something to hold fondly and cherish – even if it’s just in thought. 

Lovely Company’s album Tenderness is out now.

Gentle Guy by Lovely Company

Written by: Chloe Hoy

[strawberryboyhimself]

Something I think that’s really interesting is the context of these two eras and the landscape around storytelling at the time. In the past stories were told mostly through word of mouth, you’d tell stories while you worked or relaxed in the pub or simply gossiped because that was what you did for fun. Life was simply slower and less full so you had the time to tell long-winded tales about the goings on around you. Think about it, the story of Scrooge could easily be something told by workers talking about their boss or Pride and Prejudice the local drama at the time or Wuthering Heights a real story built up by the locals over the years. We can also see this in the formatting of these works, how all of Dracula is told through letters and diary entries, Frankenstein begins with letters or again, Wuthing Heights is almost entirely told through word of mouth between a few characters. In the time these books were written, stories were a way of passing time and sharing news without the need for arcs or themes or anything like that because everyone told stories all the time. It was very much a time before show don’t tell because every story was passed down through being told so writers matched this method and spent their time setting scenes and creating characters who were terrible and writing their stories like everyone around them told them, the only difference was theirs were written so it would reach a wider audience. They were storytellers before they were writers.

Now, cut ahead to the boom in technological advancement, especially the invention of film and suddenly everything changes. Life is moving faster now, people don’t have the same amount of time to tell these long, winding tales, they have too much work and business and excitement in their lives. My English teacher pointed out Gatsby as a great show of this, the way it’s written in a way that is far more familiar to us, more like a movie. There’s no time wasted on these long paragraphs with little information or minor characters just to pass information or anything like that, it’s quick and snappy and rather than telling it like a story passed down from word of mouth, it cuts around like movie scenes and really wastes no time because now there is none to waste. Now films are able to tell stories that would have taken an audience days, maybe even weeks to read in mere hours, all that longwinded information can be told in a second with image and sound. The time of telling stories around a fire or while you do your long, slow work are over now it’s all efficancy and excitement and the rush of this new urban life.

Finally, not even that long after we reach today where life is faster than ever. Not only do we have movies now, we have streaming and social media and an endless stream of information that we can plug into and absorb for the rest of our lives and never even scratch the surface of it all. You have more to consume and less time to do so than ever before so there is no way you can go through all that time and energy of lengthy and longwinded writing every single time you want a story when you have all this content you could get so much more stimulation from so much quicker. It’s no longer about just telling a story anymore, it’s about selling a product, making something that stands out in this constant stream. There’s no time for the old style anymore, you gotta trim the fat and perfect your product to give it a fighting chance to survive.

Granted, that is a huge generalisation and books will always exist and be needed and cherished and one of the greatest inventions humans ever made but it’s undeniable that so much of the great literature we admire these days would never be found if it were written today, the style just would not be able to compete and books themselves are becoming more and more neglected or having to change to become more like the other, less time consuming content to be able to get any attention. It’s more a weakness of time than art itself and I am in no position to make such grand statements as this rant has become but my history lover brain simply found it interesting to look at the context and patterns of these eras and how the lives we live define the art we create and vice versa in that beautiful relationship between humanity and art.

Every 21st century piece of writing advice: Make us CARE about the character from page 1! Make us empathize with them! Make them interesting and different but still relatable and likable!

Every piece of classic literature: Hi. It's me. The bland everyman whose only purpose is to tell you this story. I have no actual personality. Here's the story of the time I encountered the worst people I ever met in my life. But first, ten pages of description about the place in which I met them.

[grimes-claireboucher]

GRIMES | WHO KNEW WORLD-BUILDING WOULD BE SO DIFFICULT?

BY SID FEDDEMA

APRIL 23, 2019

You can hear it, can’t you? The pulsing, panning synth bass, ingenious and instantly memorable. A gossamer coo, almost a sigh. And then a voice in an unusually high register singing 
lyrics full of menace, at odds with a calculated syrupy-sweet, faux-naive intonation: I never walk about after dark / It’s my point of view / If someone could break your neck / Coming up behind you always coming and you’d never have a clue.  

Seven years later, its power remains unmitigated. “Oblivion” turned horror into art, and, while drawn from a personal, particular experience, it spoke to a universal pain, a sense of predation and vulnerability all too familiar for women. Most importantly, it is a defiant act of resistance, a steadfast insistence on Grimes’ ownership of her own experience, and a refusal to be silenced. Pitchfork named it the best song of the decade so far. NPR named it one of the “greatest songs by 21st Century women.” Grimes was suddenly a cultural touchstone, a feminist symbol, a cherished member of the resistance. Everyone was watching.

They still are. Look at the Twitter fusillades, the talmudic readings of even the most flippant utterance, the team-joining. Feuds! With contemporaries, the media, her label. Gossip! A storm of it, following her spacetime-warping appearance with Elon Musk on the Met Gala red-carpet. And to hear Grimes tell it, being caught up in all this has been excruciating. She’s said that 2018 was one of the hardest years she’s endured.

When we speak, Grimes is in flux—emotionally, artistically, career-wise. But that’s nothing new. If I was to describe her with one word, I think it would be '“mercurial.” Or “protean.” She never stands still, never settles. She feels less like one person than like a collection of occasionally-combative creative spirits inhabiting one body. Hence the wide cast of characters in her albums, the fashion experiments, the accretion disk of material spanning mediums and genres. As I was writing this article we got word that she has changed her name—to c [lowercase italic], rather than Claire Boucher, and that the Grimes identity she’s built up over the course of her career could be next to go. For a journalist, she’s a tough subject: not only is she encyclopedic in conversation, but by the time you finish your draft, half of what you’ve written may no longer be true. While this capriciousness is a powerful creative resource, it can also make things difficult. She is a hell of a lot of fun to talk to, though—a whirlwind of ideas, opinions, wisecracks, and puckish self-deprecation.

I was given four tracks from the new album to prepare. But when I bring up the first, the disarmingly raw, strange, and lovely “Shall I Compare Thee,” she laughs. “I hate all these songs now. I might even replace them all. I’m supposed to be finishing the album this month or whatever, but I’ve been making a shit ton of new music instead. Which is a really bad idea.” She sighs, thinks for a moment. “But I’ll probably put out the songs that I said I’ll put out.” I tell her that her fans would surely appreciate seeing what she’s been working on. “Maybe, maybe not,” she replies, grinning. “I think the fans want me to stop making metal, nu-metal. Which I will! I have, I have stopped making metal!” Meanwhile, she’s dropping demos for an augmented reality side project under the moniker “Dark,” scribbling away on a novel, and thinking about a suite of “hymns, like glossolalia vocal music,” but which she “probably won’t release as ‘Grimes,’” as she explains it. She has changed her artistic approach, and is intent on unshackling her creative impulses. “I read a book on speed painting, about how you just lay it down and become satisfied with it. So I’m trying to do a bunch of stuff like that right now. It does feel better, because it just contains more life,” she explains. “Shall I Compare Thee” embodies this speed-painting creative methodology: DIY production, recorded in “like, two hours.” But the other single from the album, “We Appreciate Power,” is the opposite. It’s polished to a shine, conceptual, accompanied by a well-produced video. “‘Power’ is sort of the end of the old music I was making,” she says. “This era of super-produced and perfected sound—it’s sort of a thesis on that, a bookend.” 

She’s eager to explain the concept of the new album. However she feels about the songs at any given moment, she’s clearly excited about the story that they’re telling. “Miss Anthropocene” is a character, essentially an anthropomorphization of the concept of climate change. The name is a witty pun on “misanthropy” and “anthropocene”—the geological era defined by humanity’s irrevocable impacts on the planet. “All the media about climate change is like one big guilt trip. It’s super depressing, like, here are some facts that make you wanna go home and kill yourself. It sucks and it sucks to look at, so people just kind of look away from it,” she says. “I want to change that. In ancient Greek culture you have these gods that represent abstract, terrifying concepts. Like a God of Death. So I wanted to make Miss Anthropocene this idea of, like, the God of Climate Change. She wants the world to end and she wants to bring about the end of humanity, but she’s fun. She’s fucking fun and evil!” Grimes laughs. “Also, climate change is beautiful, even if it’s terrifying. It’s so nice to look at. The sunsets are brighter and more beautiful. Volcanoes, oil rainbows, hurricanes... destruction is gorgeous—people are drawn to it.” 

Miss Anthropocene marks the end of an era for Grimes. When it’s released she’ll be finished with her obligations to her label, and she’s excited about the prospect of working without contractual restrictions. “I’ll never sign with another label. I’ll never have to put out another album... If I didn’t have this whole requirement to release an ‘album,’ I would have just dropped a bunch of music ages ago.” The album format, she says, feels increasingly ill-suited for her shape-shifting, experimental style. “Albums are trash unless you sit down and make a really good album. I’m not really that consistent. I feel like I would work better in like EP-ish formats.” 

It’s not the only departure from musical tradition that she’s considering. Touring, she tells me, has increasingly become a stressful obligation. “I wanna retire from touring. I wanna do a hologram tour. Why do we keep doing them for dead artists instead of living ones who have stage fright?” Does she still get stage fright, this far into her career? “Oh my god, yes. It’s nightmarish. Apocalyptic. Terrifying, horrible. I can’t hear clapping or cheers—I just hear an echo chamber of death. I black out. Dissociation—I can’t tell what’s happening. After a show I’m always thinking, What happened? And people are like ‘It’s ok!’ I know people like the authenticity of live performance, and I do too. But I’m not a good performer. I’m a director who accidentally fell into this position, and now it’s too late to change. So I need to Gorillaz it—I need to find a way to not have to do the Beyoncé thing as much.” 

The sense is that Grimes is finished with facades, done pretending, done jumping through hoops to meet our expectations for what a ‘pop-star’ should be. Coming to terms with all this has been a messy and difficult process, but she’s finally feeling like herself again. She’s optimistic, if wary. And she’s ready to let it all out. Her forthcoming album, to hear her tell it, is Grimes unleashed. “I feel like at times there is an extreme rage that I haven’t been able to lay down,” she says. “A rawness that I have withheld from the public, because people always told me to make it more accessible. I’ve given that up for this, and it’s been freeing.”

She’s confronting her past as well. Miss Anthropocene was written during a period of intense self-reflection, and in the midst of personal tragedy. After losing others to addiction and overdoses, yet another close friend had passed. She hints obliquely at her own struggles with substances. It’s hard for her to talk about, but she has confronted it head-on while making this album, and is ready to be honest with the public. “I had early disturbing experiences with kids coming up to me and admiring things that were self-destructive. I was like, fuck, people think it’s cool to cut yourself or vomit or do crack. That’s not good! But then it became this stifling thing,” she says. “I don’t know. I’ve lived this hard, fucked-up life. I can’t pretend I didn’t. It started feeling like I couldn’t express myself properly, because I was so worried about being a good role model. It scares me to be hyper-honest, but we never see women getting to be that way. There should be someone out there that’s messy and fucked up—for some people this is how it is. It scares me because I don’t want little kids to romanticize certain things that are not cool. But I also don’t want to lie about the reality of my existence. I can’t make super honest or super emotional art if I’m always pretending to be cool and chill all the time.”

Grimes’ fans, who love her rabidly, have expressed worry at times in the last few years. If it seems she’s been self-sabotaging, whether online or in her relationships with collaborators and partners, it’s because she really has struggled. But unlike most of us, every step of her journey has been seized upon by a fascinated public and a cynical press hungry for headlines and clicks. And her reticence to tell us what she was really going through left all the more room for speculation. “Two of my best friends died before I was 18, and I lost like five friends to opiate-related deaths. Really close friends. I had one die when I was on a shoot, and found out while filming the second day. All this stuff, fucked up stuff, is happening. Before I would just not mention any of it. I feel like I’ve been through war when I think that all these people around me are dead. In 2016, my good friend died. They were a friend of 15 years, and I felt nothing. Just nothing. And it was so weird. But, you know, there you go. So you start removing yourself from everybody because you don’t want to face it. Life becomes too shockingly fragile, you know?” 

It hasn’t been easy for Grimes to engage with her past, but talking about it—in her art, in interviews like this one—is helping. “I’ve gotten better. I was really fucked up in 2016 when I wrote this album, but now I’m doing much better. When I was going through the Art Angels cycle, I was having severe PTSD, and everyone was like, ‘Don’t let the public know!’ I know there are people who think I’ve fucked up the last year, and I do need to be more organized and reasonable and thoughtful at times, for sure. But I feel my art is better.” 

Grimes’ favorite part of her job comes before she records a single note. “Dreaming it up feels so easy. The making and releasing can be horrible, but the dreaming is always fun,” she sighs. And that’s why she’s such an interesting figure, right? She’s a prodigious dreamer. We may love the music—I still blast “Oblivion” on an almost monthly basis, revisit the strange and compelling world of Art Angels—but it does sometimes feel almost beside the point. Grimes is building a universe, and she’s shedding the strictures that get in the way of that grand vision—the album format, her label, even her own carefully-crafted identity. “Part of what I’m doing is setting up the world-building. Reverse Harry Potter it. Soundtrack comes first, then the fashion, then everything, everything, everything. Then the book, right before I die,” she says, not really joking. Reaching this point of liberation hasn’t been a smooth process. Grimes is unfailingly honest with herself, her own worst critic. But she feels free, she’s happy with what she’s creating, and her ambitions have only grown. We just need to get out of the way and let her dream. 

[blueyesandleatherjacket]

A Taste Of Christmas, 1/6

Volume: 1.

Number of parts: 1/6.

Pairings: Metacrisis Nine x Rose.

A/N: Sequel for The Summertime Of Our Lives. Written for doctorroseprompts' fall fic bingo and ficmas challenge. Fall fic bingo: Mist, Jumper, Spice, Gold, Paint and Cider. Ficmas challenge: Workshop (D1), Tinsel (D2), Cider (D3), Tree (D4), Ugly Sweater (D8). Tagging @thebookster on her demand.

“Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home.” - Carol Nelson.

CHAPTER 1:

Rose was an artist. The Doctor had always known it. One day, she had forgotten her sketchbook on the pilot seat and he had flipped through it while she was asleep in her room, somewhere in the TARDIS. There were several drawings inside, drawings of him, drawings of her, drawings of them. She had spent a lot of time studying him, studying his faces, studying his bodies and his every gesture and she had drawn it all in her sketchbook. He had kept a page, had taped it on the wall of his bedroom in the TARDIS. The other hm was probably looking at it every time he was getting in his room. Or had he forgotten about her? Was he refusing to even think about her now that they were forever separated? That was what he would have done. Rose Tyler had brought him back to life when he only aspired to die and fate – with the faces of Daleks and Cybermen and new Doctor – had ripped her away from him. And it had reunited them in the most unexpected way years later. Their story was art too. He was a broken person. He was broken in so many pieces that sticking them back together to recreate the man he had once been before the war was impossible. Yet, the brave and compassionate Rose Tyler had taken the pieces she could find and had assembled them together. Instead of trying to reproduce something she had never known, she created a new version of him and added colours to his dull dark world. She was done just in time for him to regenerate into this pretty boy who forgot how to take care of her or how to cherish her. This time, she had been the one who was shattered beyond repairs and no one was there to help her. Her family had let her down slowly. They had thought that as a responsible adult, she could handle the situation and she had thought so too. Working on finding him – the other version of him – had kept her busy but the many failures had weakened the already fragile shell she had built around herself. She hadn’t given up on art as he found out after his arrival in this universe. Her flat had a couple of frames on the wall from artists that never made it in in their original universe and there was one of hers. An original production called “Night sky from Barcelona”. He had never taken her there with this face. The pretty boy did. Yet, it wasn’t him standing next to her under the starry sky. It was him with his leather jacket and short-cropped hair. It was his back and it was his hand holding hers. All this time she had been wanting him back. The broken, brooding soldier. It had taken him some time to accept this truth but the events of last summer had convinced him of it. It had been a long path. Now they were as happy as they could be. Which wasn’t an easy task when you had Jackie Tyler as stepmother. When she had found out about their matching tattoos and the meaning behind, she had completely lost her mind. He had never been so insulted and slapped in all his life. They had settled down in Broadchurch. After the end of the summer, they had gone back to London and the Doctor had soon dived back into his old quirks: pacing around the house, refusing to eat, depressing, stressing and having troubles to sleep. The town was having a terrible effect on him because of everything that had happened there in their original universe and for Rose, it was obvious that they couldn’t live in London anymore. It hadn’t been long to find a house thanks to their new friends – mostly Ellie Miller – help. Before the end of October, they were settled down in their new and cosy place in the heights of Broadchurch with a nice viewpoint on the cliffs and the sea. That had been an important point for the Doctor: having a viewpoint on the infinity of the world. This was reassuring him. The world was bigger on the outside. During all November, Rose had watched him as he sat in front of the large patio door and observed the waves crashing on the shore. As it was getting deeper into the autumn season, it would get darker earlier and mist would cover the land plunging the land in the creepy atmosphere of horror movies. Rose never got the right to go out when it was dark and misty. At least, she couldn’t go alone. He was insisting on going with her. She had proven her bravery and her fearless attitude by traveling by his side, by working with Torchwood to get back to him but he was firm in his decision to accompany her out whenever the mist was spreading. She had missed this overprotective side of his when he changed and even as a former kid from the Estates who had grown in a strong and independent woman, she liked this particularity of his. She had stopped working for Torchwood shortly after their summer vacations. The Doctor still didn’t what was the reason behind such a mystery around the agency. He wanted to nose around, to find out what was so wrong with them and he actually was doing it behind Rose’s back. The only fact that they had led experiences on her convinced him that they were doing wrong and had to be stopped. Obviously, this wasn’t without danger and it was harder to operate without access, without a TARDIS, without a trustworthy companion. Rose would lecture him if she was told what he was doing and he knew no one else that could travel and work with the way he used to be working with her. He doubted he would have taken any other companion on board if Rose had still been around. She was the best. As were Jack, Martha and Donna. But Rose was Rose. His Rose had given up on her job for him. She was unemployed because of him. Broadchurch was a small town and it was hard to find a proper job. She tried the police, the Broadchurch Echo, the schools – Torchwood had had the advantage to have trained and given her the proper diplomas – and every little job she could find in the classified ads but she never got anything. He had suggested her to try and make a living of her art. From them on, he had sort of lost her. Together, they had sacrificed a large room of their house and turned it into a workshop where she could unleash her creativity. It was already filled with loads of artistic materials he didn’t even know they had. Now, she was spending all her time in this room while he got lost in his thoughts in front of the patio door. Not a normal relationship, but they were far from normal. Today, he wasn’t in the living room. He was in the kitchen. Rose hadn’t checked on him in a while, and neither had he gone to check on her. He was concocting spiced cider from a recipe he had found in a local magazine. From the tiny drops he had licked on his fingers, it didn’t taste bad. It even sounded really good. Why had he never tested the whole cooking world before? Domestics. He was refusing the domestics he was now doing. Also, he had had other preoccupations in mind back then. But the pretty boy’s eccentricity and Donna’s seek for a family were running in his veins now. Admitting his feelings for Rose was an opening on this life and he honestly didn’t regret it. He was living the life he thought he would never have with the woman he thought would never love him and he couldn’t happier than that. The Doctor added the final touch to his drink and poured some in two glasses he took to Rose’s workshop. He knocked on the door. Got no answer. Rose surely was working with her Pods on. In this world, there weren’t such things as headphones. They were selling small round devices you were placing behind your ears. They were analysing your musical tastes from the information given by your brain and creating a whole playlist according to them, to your mood, to your current activity. It was totally obliterating the world around you and you could hear the music straight in your head. Great technology, but it also was increasing the percentage of unsolved crimes. With people being deaf to their surroundings, it was easier to rob, destroy and kill without being heard. It was also easier to get hit by a vehicle in the streets. Thankfully, Rose was using them when she was in her workshop and only when he was home. Opening the door confirmed what he thought: Rose had her back on him and soft green dot was blinking behind her ears. The room was a real mess. There was a tarpaulin covered with paint stains of all colours on the ground; on the wall on his left, there were empty and unused frames, blank and used canvas of all sizes. On the wall facing the door, there was a long table – actually the table was composed of planks on trestles – that was weighting down under the numerous and various art supplies. Boxes with their contents written in large black letters were stacked under the makeshift table. The third wall of the room was taken by easels and other boxes. Rose wasn’t only painting. She was doing all sorts of art including manual works. This explained the different materials lying around the floor, the glue gun in her hand, the brush and pen stuck on her ears. She had an old apron tied around her waist. An apron that had definitely seen better days and many artworks. He put the glass of warm spiced cider on the free and safe area of the table. Rose hadn’t seen or heard him coming. The sudden move beside her and the hand appearing next to her caused her to start and she was gonna attack when she realised it was him. She slapped his shoulder and switched off her Pods. He just smiled at her messy bun, at the paint on her face, at the unfinished work before her. “You scared the shit out of me, you idiot!” “Oi! I have nothing of an idiot!” “My clever idiot.” “Take that back.” “My handsome clever idiot.” “This won’t work.” The Doctor was playing offended but Rose’s messy look and the golden flakes spread all over her hair, cheeks and hands were quite funny. It reminded him of the golden light surrounding her, burning in her eyes, when she came back for him that day. A terrible, terrible day. His fingers brushed over her face, wiping away the flakes stuck on her cheek. He was always having nightmares of that day. He remembered all too ell the molten lava when he absorbed the Vortex that he was killing her, the cells of his body dying one after another, slipping into another skin and losing everything and everyone he loved, watching through new eyes what he could have lived, watch his new self screw up everything with Rose, the rage and pain of losing her and moving on, the joy and fear to be born again, the rejection and terror of a new limited human life, the doubts eating him out and the dread of losing Rose or himself one day. Her hands found his face. She cupped his cheeks, spreading flakes on his skin, rubbed her nose against his softly. She had sensed his change of mood. She had seen it in his eyes. His memories had come to bother him when they were playfully arguing. She didn’t know the cause of this sudden mood swing, and she didn’t care at the moment. She just wanted him back. “The golden flakes suit you well,” she joked. She rubbed her hands on his face and ran her fingers through his hair to share her flakes with him. Of course this wasn’t gonna please him. He was no man to go around with golden flakes everywhere. He had a bit of an ego and was quite a macho man. He did nothing that could make people question his masculinity. Even if the concept of masculinity and femininity were slightly different in this universe. After over 900 years of living by the same rules and concepts, it was hard to let go of them. “You know what would be great?” She let go of him and rummaged through the many boxes stacked under the table. A couple of them had the mention ‘Christmas’ on it and that’s naturally where she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a blue tinsel and wrapped it around his head like a crown. “Oh, what about a jumper too?” “Blue to go with my eyes?” “If you want. As long as it’s one of those ugly Christmas sweaters.” “No way. Don’t wanna be ridiculous, me.” “Though you feel ridiculous already.” “Maybe.” “How do you feel with that tinsel on your head?” “Like your human Christmas tree. And according to this beautiful wooden Advent calendar, I suppose you miss the holiday.” “This is stupid.” Rose humphed and hit the table with her fist. She caught the glass of cider before it spilled on her work. That was the first time she noticed it. The Doctor had one in his hands too. She took a sip. Took another. Licked her lips. That tasted amazing. She had been too young and too busy to have some in her original universe and this one had a very different way to celebrate the cold season…

To be continued...

A Taste Of Christmas © | 2019 | Tous droits réservés.

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An Exposure to Thekkady, the Land of a Rich Diversity

Kerala is one of the flourishing iconic tourist destinations in India with a divergent flora and fauna. Kerala is well known for its rich backwater sources and affluent wildlife. Kerala backwaters are the idyllic hub for canoeing and rowing. The beautiful land can offer you a lifetime experience. Thekkady in Kerala is one of the best travel destinations. Thekkady is home to the rich diversity and picturesque nature which makes your Kerala tour worthwhile. Thekkady is surrounded by dense forests, Periyar National Park, and the plantations. Thekkady is being visited by a sundry of tourists who love to visit new places and explore new dimensions.

Thekkady is located in the southeastern border of Kerala and it would take around 145 kilometers from Cochin International Airport. The natives in Thekkady are very amiable and warm-hearted thus offers home-like feelings over there and with their guidance, you can explore some less explored scenic locations. The majority of the travelers plan a trip to Thekkady only to visit the wildlife park. There are a lot of activities like sightseeing wild animals, rafting, exploring the hills and the dense forest cover. A few of the most desired tourist attractions and shopping products in Thekkady are given below.

Tourist attractions in Thekkady

1. Chellar Kovil

Chellar Kovil is located at a distance of 20 kilometers from Thekkady on the route to Theni, Tamilnadu. Chellar Kovil is the abode of most engrossing and enchanting waterfalls and alluring cascades that enthrall every tourist during their visit. This scenic paradise is indeed a beautiful creation of God almighty which is being protected untainted and unsullied. Chellar Kovil is one of the awe-inspiring captivations of mother nature with an immaculate ambiance. These Gorgeous plantations share their borders with the Thekkady National Park and become one of the worth visiting places in Thekkady.

2. Murikkady

The major specialty of Murikkady is the stunning massive coffee plantations and various spice plantations. Murikkady is one of the neighboring areas of the national park. This beautiful destination is accessible in a few footsteps as Murikkady is just 5 kilometers away from Thekkady. Monkeys, flocks of butterflies, and moths can be witnessed on Murikkady. A gentle walk amidst the plantations is a very pacifying and refreshing experience. A morning walk at these aromatic plantations can account for a good start.

3. Mangala Devi Temple

Mangala Devi Temple is one of the popular temples in Thekkady. This ancient temple is situated 1300 meters above sea level. A lot of devotees visit this holy shrine on a regular basis. An expedition to this temple offers a peaceful mind and soul. Many tourists do visit this temple to seek blessings from Magala Devi for their prosperity. If you are interested in trekking, Mangala Devi temple is the right place for you. As it is located on the top of the hills and you may need to climb the hills in order to reach the temple. Mangala Devi Temple is also idyllic for a hiking trip.

4. Anakkara

Anakkara is one of the sought after spice plantations in Thekkady. Every kind of spice is grown in Anakkara and is a visual treat for every eye. Almost all the spices available in the market can be seen in this flourishing spice plantation. A visit to this spice plantation gives you a clear idea about the procedures and techniques used by the natives to cultivate the spices. Anakkara is just 13 kilometers away from Thekkady and a trip to Anakkara is a knowledgeably fun exploration of the unusual methods for sprouting the spices.

5. Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park is the most important and worthy place to visit in Thekkady. The Periyar National Park is spread over 300 square miles of the forest area. The whole park can be explored through a jeep safari. The forest is packed with Pristine rivers, enchanting lakes, and lush mountains. The exotic and divergent wildlife animals and various plant species enhance the awe of Periyar National Park. You may behold white tiger, elephants, Gray langur or Hanuman langur, large bison, and many more animals during the jeep safari. Nilgiri wood pigeon, Malabar Grey, and crimson-backed sunbird are few among the bird species that can be seen in the Periyar National Park. Deciduous forests, evergreen forests, around a hundred species of orchids, and the grass is present in Periyar National Park.

The entire park is a visual treat to tourists who wish to behold the diverse lifeform in a single frame. One can witness the giant sandalwood and rosewood trees over there. If you want to study the Varieties of behaviors of wild animals, you must visit Periyar National Park in Thekkady.

6. Pattumala</>h4

Pattumala is a Malayalam word which means 'hills covered with silk'. Like this Pattumala is covered with the green blanket of tea plantations. There is an old popular tea factory in Pattumala. This factory was built in 1931 and it processes varieties of teas. This tea is quite popular in that region and must try this tea. This hilly region can be explored by a gentle walk. If you are a trekking enthusiast you can indulge in the trekking trips arranged by the native peoples. Feel the cool drizzles and spend some cozy time with beautiful nature at Pattumala that welcomes everyone with open hands.

7. Periyar Lake

Periyar lake is the most visited and favorite picnic spot in Thekkady. This lake offers a lot of fun filling activities for visitors like backwater rafting and boating amidst the lush greenery. You can witness a flock of Atlas moths, butterflies, and the large swallowtail butterfly southern birdwing at the premise of Periyar lake. Behold the animals and birds while boating through the serene backwater. A trip to Periyar lake is enough to cherish your trip.

Shopping in Thekkady

1. Spices

Thekkady is famed as the spice capital of Kerala. All kinds of spices are available in Thekkady. When it comes to shopping anything from Thekkady the first thing that pops up in mind is none other than spices. Spices that grow in Thekkady are available in all the local markets. Cinnamon, Star Anise, Cardamom, Pepper, Vanilla pod, Fenugreek, white and green pepper, Coriander, Nutmeg, and Cloves are the hot picked spices these spices there and they are also available in Kumily, the neighboring town of Thekkady.

2. Periyar Woods

Periyar Woods is a popular shop in Thekkady junction. The major specialty of this shop is a handcrafted elephant with 6 babies. This artwork is known as 'Happy Family'. It is one of the best selling products in Periyar woods. This is considered a lucky sign that is kept in the living room.

Buy vintage items, artifacts, and collectibles from the Ganesh art gallery located in Ambadi Junction in Thekkady.

3. Tea & Coffee

Since Thekkady is the home to vast tea and coffee plantations there are splendid hand full flavors of tea and coffee. If you are a tea lover you have the golden opportunity to taste the samples of different varieties of teas. You can buy tea and coffee sachets from the outlets located near to the tea, coffee plantations. Check out the coffee beans as well.

4. Hand-crafted Souvenirs

If you are a craft lover buy Batik paintings, kitchenware, traditional decorative lamps, furniture, and household utensils at fair rates. The sculptures carved in rosewood and sandalwood by the native artisans are the most selling products among the handcrafted items.

5. Forest Goods

Beside the doorway of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, there is a shop that sells T-shirts, books regarding wildlife, postcards, World Wide Fund products, and varieties of forest goods in Thekkady.

An expedition to Thekkady will be the most memorable escapade in one's life. With the unique cultural influences, deciduous forests, Periyar National Park, rich wildlife, and the various geographical locations Thekkady welcomes every globetrotter with open hands. Head to Thekkady with Seasonz India Holidays a salient tour operators in Kerala that offers great deals on Kerala tour packages and Kerala houseboat packages.

[s-o-n-de-r]

What a decade of progress looks for Lights

As the 2010s end, everyone has a reason to reflect on the past decade, but for sonder all-time favorite electro-pop sensation Lights, there’s a treasure trove to look back on.

After winding down from her summer tour in support of her Skin & Earth acoustic, which is just one entry in what has become a standard practice of releasing an acoustic version of her latest record, Lights dropped two announcements. First, it was the release of “Long Live,” a seedy, mellow, sentiment-heavy track featuring Travis Barker and looking back on her career. Second, she announced the long-awaited release of a vinyl pressing of her 2009 debut LP, The Listening.

Comparing Skin & Earth acoustic (and its full production namesake) to The Listening era is nearly black and white. There are certain things about both albums, such as her unmistakable singing voice and sense for a more poetic, metaphorical lyricism than other pop artists, that carry through, but there’s also definite growth.

That’s unsurprising after more than a decade of releasing music. After all, musicians are not robots and careers are not linear, instead informed by life changes and heartache and internal reflection and all of the heart and soul and growth that goes into making art. Each Lights release feels like a distinct entry, so her career has been painted by different brush strokes that nonetheless have a single identity. As a solo artist, she has the benefit of being solely in charge of her art and isn’t sidetracked by band mates leaving, disagreements, etc.

Artistic control lends well to pushing the envelope, which is what Lights’ latest acoustic record and summer tour did. Skin & Earth acoustic was recorded in locales that match the tracks’ placement in her comic book series, which means most of this record is not the product of a controlled studio setting. The songs were recorded on a cliffside, in a truck cab, in a tunnel, during rain, and by a river (among others). For Lights, this meant setting up in location with her gear and recording. As a result, the ambiance of these locations can be felt in the songs, and you can only imagine how cathartic it would be to record a song on a cliffside or by a river.

Her acoustic records have come with more and more creative flourishes over the years, starting with string arrangements back on Siberia acoustic, but the presentation of Skin & Earth acoustic ratchets it up to a whole new level. It’s a reminder, much like how the original Skin & Earth was the soundtrack to the comic series written and drawn by her, that Lights is doing things that you rarely see out there in music.

The world she’s built around herself attracts passionate fans. There are few artists I’ve kept my eyes on so closely for so long, and it’s a little surreal to think about each of her releases and remember the era of my life that they were released in. 2009 was peak MySpace scene time – it feels like forever ago considering the pace that music moves at. Back then, Lights wore her iconic headbands. Now, her hair is dyed a vivid red. Back then, I was a budding concert reviewer. Now, I somehow figured out how to work a camera and bring it to shows while also talking about the experience to strangers online.

Lights’ growth as a person and an artist is what drove me up north during the midst of her Skin & Earth acoustic tour this summer. I’m a fan of her music, her showwomanship, and her production, but also the lively energy she radiates as a human being. Knowing the creative project that the new record was and knowing that she’d bring the ambiance on stage with her, I got on a plane from Florida to Philadelphia to see four of her acoustic shows in the dead middle of summer.

I was living out of a backpack going from Philadelphia to New York to Washington, D.C., sleeping in Airbnb rooms and overnight trains. When I landed in Philadelphia and walked out of the terminal with nothing but an extra pair of clothes, my camera, and toiletries all stuffed in my backpack, I was smacked in the face with a wave of heat and realized I had brought the Florida summer with me up north. It was stifling and awful and the city was filled with dead air, but eventually, the sun went down and people went in to see Lights play at The Foundry.

Acoustic shows in general feel more intimate than full-band shows, but Lights didn’t settle for a coffee shop concert mood. Along with an ensemble of string players, she had a full light production and footage rolling behind her as she played the songs. It set a larger-than-life mood, which is fitting because she has often felt larger-than-life and is the sort of person that commands attention when she’s in a room.

This would be one of the shows where I’d connect with friends who would have never otherwise come into my life if Lights wasn’t a part of it. Social networking via fandom is by no means a radical or new thing, but Lights has brought me everything from casual acquaintances to cherished lifelong friendship, and much of it happens organically and randomly out of a mutual love for Lights. This tends to happen to different extents depending on the artist, but generally, it seems that the more genuine, interactive, and present an artist is, the more fans seek each other out. An artist with a comfortable relationship with their fans builds extreme loyalty, so when two fans meet, they tend to bond over that loyalty. It’s easy to meet a Lights fan and know that they “get it” – “it” being the general mythology of her career, her music, her extra-curriculars, her one-on-one interactions.

That brings us to the next day in New York, New York. After a morning Amtrak ride from Philadelphia to the Big Apple, I spent the day in the city and headed to the Bowery Ballroom. Six years prior, on Lights’ Siberia acoustic tour, I found myself at the same venue with a friend from Florida. Over the years, the larger Lights fandom has traveled far to go to shows together and would often end up forming large groups for shows, sharing hotels and taking group photos.

It’s a good contrast to reflect on where I was at that point in my life compared to now, and the same to Lights’ career. That tour was the first acoustic tour with a larger production, it was during her brief blond phase, and she was pregnant with her daughter Rocket.

Now, her hair was red as a fire engine and she was returning to the Bowery Ballroom with four more albums under her belt. The special thing about this night in New York was that she was playing two shows back-to-back – the second was added after the first quickly sold out.

If you were lucky enough to attend both shows, you got to experience a one-off phenomenon. Knowing that there would be a good amount of fans who came to both shows, Lights changed her set list between the performances and threw in some deeper cuts. It isn’t abnormal for artists to change their sets slightly from night to night, but typically fans don’t get that experience unless they travel to multiple shows. Here, it was all encapsulated in the same space.

The Bowery Ballroom is a comfortable little space. To get in, you have to first go down through the basement and bar area and then go back up into the room proper, where you’ll find the floor and a balcony above with a large window that pours in sunlight. For Lights’ acoustic shows here, the floor is seated, so it has more of performance hall feeling than a standing concert. It’s low energy and people generally aren’t talking too loud, so it makes it easy to focus on the magic of the set.

She hit on all her core Skin & Earth acoustic songs for both shows, but the rotated songs really gave the night some heart. “Don’t Go Home Without Me” was touching and poignant, as was “Same Sea,” and it was a total surprise to hear “Face Up” all the way from The Listening days make an appearance. “Drive My Soul” and “February Air” were also pulled from The Listening, giving these songs a chance to make an appearance after years of sitting dormant. And all of these were given emotional depth between the soft but present drums and the keyboard and string additions. And this was all during contrast-y, mood-setting lights, starry projections, and forced shadows on the back of the stage. You could get lost in the warmth of the performance – Lights’ confidence and outgoing nature on stage is infectious and helps move it all along.

If you compared this show to a show 10 years ago, you’d see how much more developed her confidence is. Not to say that the Lights of 10 years ago wasn’t confident, but after motherhood, seven LPs and a handful of EPs, worldwide touring, collaborations, and much more, she’s really come into herself as a performer. Celebrating this seems to be what “Long Live” and looking back on the past decade seems to be about. It’s hard to enumerate every little thing she’s done to get up to this point, but as a fan, you can look back on her collection of accomplishments and feel proud.

After the New York shows, I had a few hours until my overnight train to the nation’s capitol, so I ventured into the sweltering bowels of the MTA at midnight and ended up at Times Square at 1 a.m. After a little sightseeing, I dragged myself onto my ride and ended up in Washington, D.C. around 7 a.m. for a long, hot, sweaty day. The so-called LightsArmy fan group was in full force at this show, with the post-show group photo featuring dozens. At this show, I actually met some fans I’ve known for years for the first time, and it’s always a surreal feeling because these people feel like friends you’ve been close to for years even though you’ve never met. In fact, that camaraderie has led to me staying on couches and staying with fellow fans across the country despite never actually meeting before. You know, the sort of thing your parents screamed at you to not do when you were a child.

U Street Music Hall felt like a shelter from the sauna outside. Tucked into a basement, it was another seated experience. As a photographer moving around the venue, it’s easy to lose track of the performance in the moment as you’re paying attention to what you’re getting, adjusting settings, etc., but Lights has a unique ability to draw you away from that and pause once in a while to truly take in what you’re seeing and hearing. At this point, after having seen her more than a dozen times over the last decade, her shows often evoke a sense of calm and zen that comes from nostalgia and emotional closeness to her music. When you’ve been going for a decade, seeing her on a new tour is like seeing her play in the present while you simultaneously relive all the other shows in the past, coming together like a big puzzle of pleasant memories in your head. For her, or any touring artist I imagine, this effect is far more pronounced, and this new “Long Live” era for The Listening feels a lot like a celebration of that long road from the past and through to the future.

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Photos and words by sonder editor Andrew Friedgen. Like this? Sonder is an independent music, travel and photography publication at sonderlife.com. Give us a follow here or at our Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for more content like this!

Also check out:

Taking Back Sunday at Revolution Live

tiLLie trailblazes on tour with Lights

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X Ambassadors at Revolution Live

Rockstar Disrupt photos

[lucyreviewcy]

An Ode to Taylor Swift’s Approach to Self-Branding

In his book Stars, Richard Dyer discusses the way that movie stars’ personas are built and developed both within and outside of their films. Dyer suggests that the kind of characters that stars play feed into the overall narrative of their career. Taylor Swift isn’t a film star, unless you count a few brief cameos, but her persona is unique in that her personal presentation (Instagram, interviews and anywhere where she is pretending to be herself) and her performance persona (in photoshoots, music videos, live performances and arguably her music) are so nakedly constructed.

While she once may have claimed to have something in common with the girl she plays in the videos for Picture to Burn or Tim McGraw, these days, Swift is no stranger to drawing attention to how her image is created. If you don’t believe me, just look at the video for …Ready for It. She’s literally making a new Taylor.

Whenever T Swizzle releases new music, her fans are chided for combing through the lyrics and accompanying images with a fine toothed comb to find hidden clues or references to other parts of the Swift Mythos. Swift’s music videos are rife with call-backs, her lyrics shot through with veiled (and sometimes…not veiled at all) references to events in her personal life or previous work. As she proved with the Look What You Made Me Do video, you don’t need a cast of thousands of Hollywood stars and decades of comic books to create an extended universe; she did it with one name, one persona, reinvented over and over.

YouTube film academic Lindsay Ellis has pointed out that any text or product exclusively targeted at teenage girls (Ellis refers to the Twilight franchise of books and films) is received by audiences as being universally poor quality and worthy of spades of parodies and mean-spirited hot takes. A lot of media that is cherished by and targeted at young girls is considered extremely low art, and Taylor Swift, despite being a prolific songwriter and a consummate performer, is often dropped into this bucket with a loud, gangly thud. Regularly commenting on how much she loves Tumblr (a site often associated with the obsessive, single-minded fandom (you can read my Timeless reviews on this very blog btw)) as a way of connecting with her fans, Swift makes a big point of trying to connect on a personal level with the hordes of young women who connect with her music.

EM Forster wrote: “Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer.”  Swift seeks to connect with her fans who connect with her art. She’s attempting to turn a one-sided exchange into a kind of contribution triangle, whereby she’s inspired by her fans who are inspired by her work, and both contribute in the resulting music. By creating this pseudo-give-and-take, Taylor’s music and images become something more than a disparate set of marketing images and tunes, but one mythology – “fragments no longer.”

I think it’s admirable for any star to try and do this. As I mentioned at the start of this article, Swift’s persona is fully constructed. Her desire to connect with fans is extremely marketable and played up in interviews and even the way that she speaks to the literal thousands of audience members at her concerts. However, Swift’s detailed, complex mythos, full of symbolism and self-referential intertextuality is the net result of all that connection. It is a mad and brilliant scheme that ultimately acts as a cultural studies training level for her fans.

It starts when Taylor’s hidden a clue to her album title in her latest music video. Her fans interrogate the text, which is a CGI ridden 4 minutes that is so unreal in its aesthetic that every element has been consciously constructed. They dissect, they discuss, they write about their findings. You know, just like when a big controversial movie comes out. That’s right, I’m saying ME! is the Roma of the Taylor Swift world.

I’m a fan of Swift’s music (eye-roll all you want, she writes good tunes, bite me), but I recognised literally none of the symbolism that fans and super-fans and beleaguered entertainment correspondents across the globe are writing adrenaline-fuelled blog posts about. I’m 25, I work in media and I’m doing a masters in film – did I notice that the seven suitcases represented T Swizzle’s albums or that the whole damn video takes place inside a cocoon? No. I did not.

While the details that fans are going nuts about might not be ground-breaking or important in the oeuvre of film and cultural studies, it is so important that these fans are being encouraged to explore and interrogate these texts. They’re sharpening their teeth for tougher meat. Not every Taylor Swift fan will grow up into a film studies academic (although I would read a sci-fi short story where this bizarre phenomenon happens and somehow brings down society) – but the fans that engage on this level are learning how to explore media as constructed work in the context of its creator. THANK YOU TAYLOR! She’s not the hero that media studies wants, but she’s the hero it deserves…

We live in a media dominated age. Our politicians fight in snarky twitter battles, news breaking across the world is available to us pretty much as it happens, and our sexy looking lunches are tiny headlines broadcast from our social media accounts. Interrogating media is a really important skill in this age. Young women and men reading “too much” (don’t get me started) into Taylor Swift videos are learning three things:

1)      Sometimes there is more to a media text than meets the eye, subliminal messaging is a thing.

2)      Taylor’s persona is constructed and she’s consciously creating each new incarnation.

3)      You can question the media that’s put in front of you, even if it is put there by someone that you like.

The way that people often dump on media studies and related fields as “reading too much into things” and “all bullsh*t” is frustrating. Not only is this argument kind of rude, it suggests that there really isn’t much more to a text than meets the eye. There is! Films, movies and music influence us every moment of every day, having the curiosity to ask how they’re doing that is not a bad thing. You’re not “making it all up” if you say that the way that Harry Potter valorises unrequited love is actually quite dangerous, or if you point out that the 2017 Baywatch manages to gently reinforce all the bad gender politics of the 1980s original (WOAH SHOCK) or if you want to write a gosh-darned 7,000 word essay on the bit where the snake bursts into a cloud of butterflies. That curiosity is empowering and exciting and exploring texts this way is fun.

There are caveats to this. Not everyone likes reading texts this way, and it is important to maintain your love for the movies, music videos and other texts that you explore even while you hit them with some cold hard theory. So here is my message to any Taylor Swift fan and budding media genius, stepping out into this wild world of media. Keep these things in mind:

Not everyone will share your passion, but that doesn’t mean your passion is bad - it just means that you might need to have other topics of conversation up your sleeve for when people just aren’t interested. 

Be sensitive to your friends and don’t dump on all their favourite movies and musicians.

Be aware that a lot of people might not share your opinions.

Be quiet in the cinema because shouting “Dutch angle” every time there’s a Dutch angle will make people really mad.

But don’t ever be embarrassed to read into a text and ask questions about how and why it was made.  T Swizzle has felt the brunt of a media age that says what it wants and airs your dirty laundry. She writes songs about how it feels to have a reputation you have no control over. Then she says to her fans “Hey, I’ve reinvented myself, come see if you can figure out what I’ve done! Dissect every frame of my video and every lyric of my song, and every damn pixel of my Instagram.” She sets up the media world as a puzzle which can be pieced together, and if not solved, then thoroughly explored.

Taylor Swift actually wants her fans to do this, and so do I.

[asiantheatre]

Under the list are all the confirmed, announced shows in the 2018-2019 season featuring Asian writers, actors, designers, directors, etc in New York, London, and International. Listed are the dates for first previews, the theater it’s performed in, and a summary of the show. 

This list isn’t 100% comprehensive and will be updated as time goes on. If we missed a show, please let us know!

Make sure to tune in and give these shows your love! 

BROADWAY (source)

Straight White Men

Until September 9, Hayes Theater

“It’s Christmas Eve, and Ed has gathered his three adult sons to celebrate with matching pajamas, trash-talking, and Chinese takeout. But when a question they can’t answer interrupts their holiday cheer, they are forced to confront their own identities. Obie Award-winning playwright Young Jean Lee takes a hilariously ruthless look at the classic American father-son drama. This is one white Christmas like you’ve never seen before.”

Getting the Band Back Together

August 19, 2018; Belasco Theatre

“The musical comedy follows 40-year-old out-of-work banker Mitch who moves back in with his mother and decides to reunite his old high school band, Juggernaut.”

King Kong

October 2018

This show reimagines the famous movie King Kong into a story about fame, greed, and manipulation within the original framework of a young actress and film maker finding their way to Skull Island, the home of a 2000 pound monkey.

Tootsie

March 29, 2019; Marriott Marquis

“Based on the film, Tootsie tells the story of a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until an audacious, desperate stunt lands him the role of a lifetime.”

Hadestown

Walter Kerr; March 22, 2019

Info in the west end section

Be More Chill

Lyceum Theater; February 13, 2019

Info in the offbway section

Chicago

July 1–14; Ambassador Theatre

Japanese star Ryoko Yonekura will make a limited run engagement as Roxie Hart before transferring over to Japan for the national tour.

OFF BROADWAY (source / 2)

Be More Chill

August 9, 2018;  Pershing Square Signature Center

Based on Ned Vizzini’s novel, the show tells the story of an average teenager who takes a pill purported to make people more—you guessed it—chill.

Henry VI

August 21, 2018 - NAATCO 

“Shakespeare’s Henry VI is the story of a great nation’s decent into barbarism and cruelty. It is a study of how the experience of a problematic foreign war erodes civil discourse at home, and how that erosion allows political self-interests to take hold and send a country hurtling into civil war.” 

Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

September 25, 2018; Ars Nova

 “250 years from now, constructed humans are built in black market labs, Mars is a forced labor camp and underground outlaws are brewing rebellion. You might not remember how Beaux Weathers and her band of “illegal intelligences” fought for the right to exist, but Rags Parkland does. Back on Earth for the first time in 10 years, Rags plays the music that carried us to where we are today. But on this planet, the more things change, the more we stay the same.”

India Pale Ale

October 2, 2018; Manhattan Theatre Club

“In a small Wisconsin town, a tight-knit Punjabi community gathers to celebrate the wedding of a traditional family’s only son, just as their strong-willed daughter announces her plans to move away and open a bar. As they come together for feasts filled with singing and dancing, one generation’s cherished customs clash with another’s modern-day aspirations, and ghosts and pirates from the family’s past linger in everyone’s thoughts – until one sudden event changes everything.”

Wild Goose Dreams

October 30, 2018; The Public Theatre

“Minsung is a “goose father,” a South Korean man whose wife and daughter have moved to America for a better life. Deeply lonely, he escapes onto the internet and meets Nanhee, a young defector forced to leave her family behind in North Korea. Amidst the endless noise of the modern world, where likes and shares have taken the place of love and touch, Minsung and Nanhee try their best to be real for each other. But after a lifetime of division and separation, is connection possible?“

The Resistable Rise or Arturo Ui

October 30- December 22, 2018; Classic Stage Company

The political allegory shows a Depression-era Chicago mobster, who, with the help of his henchmen, manipulates and murders his way to totalitarian rule of the cauliflower trade. The play uses a vaudevillian portrayal of American mafia culture to parallel events that brought the Third Reich to power.

A Chorus Line

November 14, 2018; New York City Center

“A Chorus Line, the 2018 New York City Center Annual Gala Presentation, is a joyous celebration of dance and musical theater—two art forms that City Center has been bringing to New York audiences for 75 years. In 1975, the stories of seventeen Broadway dancers were brought to life when A Chorus Line opened Off-Broadway. The musical was born of workshop sessions with actual Broadway dancers (eight of whom appeared in the original cast) who laid bare their personal stories and the challenges they faced in pursuit of their dreams.“

The Prisoner

November 24, 2018; Theatre for a New Audience/Polonsky Shakespeare Center

“The Prisoner examines the complexities of crime, justice, and compassion in a breathtaking new international production. A man sits alone outside a prison. Who is he, and what is he doing there? Is he free, or is he the prisoner?“

Noura

November 27, 2018; Playwrights Horizons

Noura and her husband have a successful life in New York, and, eight years after having fled their home in Iraq, they’ve finally gained citizen status—which Noura, as an Iraqi Christian, is celebrating by planning the perfect Christmas dinner. But when the arrival of a visitor stirs up long-buried memories, Noura and her husband are forced to confront the cost of their choices, and retrace the past they left behind.

Flower Drum Song’s 60th Anniversary Gala

December 2, 2018 - NAAP

The gala will begin at 5:30 PM with cocktails, followed by a 6:30 PM dinner (a traditional eight-course Chinese banquet). Throughout the evening will be entertainment informed by the history of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song.

Nassim

December 10, 2018; New York City Center

In his latest work, Nassim Soleimanpour explores the power of language to unite us in these uncertain times. No rehearsals. A different guest actor at every performance. A sealed envelope. Oh, and some surprises.

Blue Ridge

December 12, 2018; Atlantic Theater Company

“A progressive high-school teacher with a rage problem retaliates against her unscrupulous boss and is sentenced to six months at a church-sponsored halfway house, where she attends to everyone's recovery but her own. Set in Southern Appalachia, Blue Ridge is a pitch-dark comedy about heartbreak, hell-raising and healing.“

Merrily We Roll Along

January 12, 2019; Roundabout Theatre

Roundabout’s company in residence, Fiasco Theater, reimagines its next Stephen Sondheim creation. With Fiasco’s one-of-a-kind imagination, this audacious musical about a trio of showbiz friends who fall apart and come together over 20 years emerges as newly personal and passionate.

Superhero

January 31, 2019; Second Stage Theatre

Before we can save the world, we have to save each other. From the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer of Next to Normal and the Tony Award-winning writer of Red comes a deeply human new musical about a fractured family, the mysterious stranger in apartment 4-B, and the unexpected hero who just might save the day.

Anne of Green Gables: Part 1

The Royal Family Performing Arts Space; January 24-February 11

An adaptation of the book with the same title.

God Said This

Cherry Lane Theater; January 29-February 15

God Said This paints a portrait of five Kentuckians facing mortality in very different ways. With her mom undergoing chemotherapy, Hiro returns home, struggling to let go of the demons she inherited. Sophie, her born-again Christian sister, confronts her faith while tackling inevitable adversity. James, their recovering alcoholic father, wants to repair his fractured relationship with his daughters. And, John, an old classmate and thirty-something single dad, worries about leaving a lasting legacy for his only son.

Alice By Heart

MCC Theater; January 30-March 30

The show, by Waitress scribe Jessie Nelson and Spring Awakening duo Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, adapts Lewis Carroll’s famed fantasy into a London-set tale against the backdrop of World War II, as Alice and her friend Alfred journey down a rabbit hole to find love, loss, and the courage to move forward despite harsh circumstances.

REGIONAL / US TOURS (source)

Man of God

January 31 - February 24, 2019; East West Players

A hidden discovery in a hotel bathroom changes the lives of four Korean Christian girls on a mission trip to Thailand. Samantha is hurt that someone she trusted could betray her. Jen is worried about how this might affect her college applications. Kyung-Hwa thinks everyone should adjust their expectations. Mimi’s out for blood. Amid the neon lights and go go bars in Bangkok, the girls plot revenge in this funny, feminist thriller.  

Mamma Mia

May 9 - June 9, 2019; East West Players 

On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island they last visited 20 years ago. The storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless hits sets the scene for this infectious tale of love and frolicking fun, creating an unforgettable musical experience that will leave you dancing in the aisles!

Tours - Dates are subject to region

Aladdin

Hamilton

Miss Saigon

Hello Dolly

Falsettos

Lea Salonga’s Human Heart Tour

Rent

TV special live on Fox tells the story of the AIDS epidemic in New York City

WEST END/LONDON (source)

The King and I

Until September 29, 2018

Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.

Love’s Labor’s Lost

August 23, 2018; Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

“Self-denial is in fashion at the court of Navarre where the young king and three of his courtiers solemnly forswear all pleasures in favour of serious study. But when the Princess of France and her entourage arrive, it isn’t long before the all-male ‘academe’ have broken every one of their self-imposed rules. Shakespeare’s boisterous send-up of all those who try to turn their back on life is a dazzling parade of every weapon in the youthful playwright’s arsenal, from excruciating cross-purposes and impersonations to drunkenness and bust-ups. It’s a banquet of language, groaning with puns, rhymes and grotesque coinages“

Dance Nation

August 27, 2018; Almeida Theatre

“Somewhere in America, a revolution is coming. An army of competitive dancers is ready to take over the world, one routine at a time. With a pre-teen battle for power and perfection raging on and off stage, Dance Nation is a ferocious exploration of youth, ambition and self-discovery.“

The Humans

August 30, 2018; Hampstead Theatre

“Hampstead Theatre is proud to present the Broadway production of The Humans by Stephen Karam, the winner of four 2016 Tony Awards including Best Play. Three generations of the Blake family have assembled for Thanksgiving in Brigid and Richard’s ramshackle pre-war apartment in Lower Manhattan. Whilst the event may have a slightly improvised air, the family is determined to make the best of its time together. As they attempt to focus on the traditional festivities, fears of the past and pressures of the future seep into the reunion and the precariousness of their position becomes increasingly evident.”

The Village

September 7, 2018; Theatre Royal Stratford East

“The Village transports the Lope de Vega’s Spanish play, Fuenteovejuna to contemporary India. It’s a powerful story of community and solidarity, and the lengths a person will go to protect themselves from tyranny. In Jyoti’s village, life is simple. People work and sing while living off the land. And finding a partner is far from her mind. She’d much prefer a delicious meal. Things are happy until the Inspector and his men come back to town. But when the tyrannical Inspector has his eye on Jyoti and he commits unspeakable acts against the village, everyone is pushed to breaking point. Will Jyoti dare turn him down despite what it may mean for her village?”

White Teeth

October 26, 2018; Kiln Theatre

“Rosie Jones, the Iqbal twins, their parents, their grandparents, Mad Mary and an avalanche of other characters who make up the everyday chaos of Kilburn High Road come together in an extraordinary revelry of NW6. An epic comedy with music and dance, this theatrical rollercoaster takes us on a fast-paced journey through history, different cultures and chance encounters. Zadie Smith’s breakthrough novel is adapted for stage by acclaimed playwright Stephen Sharkey and directed by Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham in a major world premiere.”

Hadestown

November 2, 2018; National Theater

“In the warmth of summertime, songwriter Orpheus and his muse Eurydice are living it up and falling in love. But as winter approaches, reality sets in: these young dreamers can’t survive on songs alone. Tempted by the promise of plenty, Eurydice is lured to the depths of industrial Hadestown. On a quest to save her, Orpheus journeys to the underworld where their trust is put to a final test.”

INTERNATIONAL

Philippines 

Side Show - August 31, 2018

M. Butterfly - September 13, 2018

A Doll’s House Part 2 - September 15, 2018

Waitress - November 2018

Angels in America Spring 2019

Beautiful: the Carole King Musical Spring 2019

Korea

Matilda - September 8, 2018

The Greatest Showman - August 7, 2018

Bridges of Madison County - August 11, 2018

Jungle Book - closing August 26, 2018

Singapore

Peter and the Star Catcher - September 28, 2018 

Other Local Shows

Japan

Fiddler on the Roof - December 16, 2018

Something Rotten - December 31, 2018

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG - May 16, 2018

Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 - January 5, 2019

Chicago - Osaka (August 1-4 at the Orix Theater) and in Tokyo (August 7-18 at the Tokyu Theatre Orb).

Full list of shows in Japan (translated)

Other Local Shows

China

Rent - August 30, 2018

Les Mis - September 27, 2018

Hamlet - November 28, 2018

Chicago - December 20, 2018

Other Local Shows

Canada

Come From Away (until June 30, 2019)

Next to Normal Toronto (April 26-May 19)

Dear Evan Hansen 

New Zealand

If/Then - November 29-December 8, 2018

[abhi34567-blog]

Keep The Kids And The Whole Family Busy With Toys, Crafts, And Different Activities

There are several family activities out there that would be good if you’re looking for ways to bond with your loved ones. You can use toys, crafts, or even build an indoor play house, depending on everyone's preference. If you have devoted time after school or want to plan something on a rainy Sunday or lazy weekend, there are valuable tips you can learn at Pickle Toys N More. Who is Pickle Toys N More? We are part of the Amazon Services, LLC Associates Program. Browse our catalog for products under toys, electronics, crafts, art, and other items that you can use for your family activities. Shopping has never been this fun with Pickle Toys N More. What are some activities you can plan? Build an indoor play house At Pickle Toys N More, we offer a variety of playhouses. From in-built playhouses to dual-story playhouses, we have got it all. We also offer a dollhouse cottage, artistic playhouses, wooden playhouses, and our famous "Playhouse under Stairway". Surely, with all of these options, it would be impossible to find something that you and your kids would love. Launch a lego challenge Another good idea would be to launch a lego challenge. Legos are very versatile and anyone can play. Of course, if you have children who are below the age of 4, then you may want to choose to play with arts and crafts or to build a playhouse. Moreover, with legos, why not make it a healthy competition with one another? With this, you can rest assured that people would be busy all afternoon building the most creative lego structure they could think of. Play with arts and crafts If you and your family are new to weekend bonding activities, then there’s no need to worry. We have something that’s perfect for you - arts and crafts. Not only will you get to spend some quality time bonding with your kids, but you are also encouraging everyone's creative side. These lifelong memories will be cherished. In addition, you can also use this time to talk about what you are making and even discuss various subject matters and ideas. You can also converse about your emotions and what you care about. Don’t forget to include educational materials When shopping for toys at our website, you may notice that we also offer products for educational purposes. Aside from building an indoor play house to lego challenges, we also have items that would encourage learning. You can even browse our website for ideas on what to give someone who’s looking to achieve something in the academic sense. Remember, as parents, you play a crucial role in breaking the stigma that learning is boring because it’s not. When it comes to family activities, Pickle Toys N More is the place to go. Aside from family activities, such as playhouses and arts and crafts, other things that you can find on our website include electronics and other gift ideas. Visit https://pickletoysnmore.com/ today.

[celtichousenameplates]

Why Choose Custom Made Hand Painted House Names in London?

A house is where we feel relaxed after a long day at work. So keeping it in its best condition and beautifying it offers us joy that we cherish. Custom made hand painted hose names in London are enough to make a property look its best. Installing a house name that is just not your regular house sign can make a simple wall look unique and stunning. You don’t need to break the bank to make the exterior of a property look mesmerising. Just invest in Welsh Slate signs to grab the attention of visitors and passersby.

Nameplates have been here for decades but customising their property and turning it into a business is new. The birth of hand-painted house signs is changing the industry and is allowing the house owners to beautify their properties as they imagine them to be. Installing slate painted house numbers in London is enough to make a property noticeable among similar houses in a lane.

Custom made house names not only make the property look aesthetically pleasing but also help the property to stand out. You can choose your house number among a wide range of shapes and sizes to meet the needs and the way you want it to look.

Hand-painted house numbers can be enough to pique the interest of the passerby. Many houses are recognised just by the nameplates installed on the outside walls thanks to their looks, colours and designs.

Choose the Right Material for Your Custom-made Hand Painted House Names in London

Though metal and wooden house plates are more popular among house owners but plastic, glass and stone nameplates are gaining momentum as well. When metal house names are concerned, most opt for rustproof ones to keep the decorative item in its best condition.

Do you wonder why hand painted house signs have become so popular suddenly?

It dated back to the era when there were no photoshop and illustration services available. In the earlier days, people used to decorate their houses by creating colourful designs on their outside walls. This practice gradually eloped and people started to be more mindful of the house names installed on the walls.

With the popularity of fashion and art, the emergence of custom made house names has gained speed. Thanks to social media sites, people have built a taste for colourful items and house names are no exception. On a solid, simple wall, a brightly coloured house plate is enough to give the property a top-notch look that everyone adores. Personalised slate painted house numbers are enough to enhance the overall look of a property. It offers a feel and sense that is unique to you. It reflects the taste of the residents or the people who own the house.

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Many counties legally ask to install house names. To prevent yourself from being tangled in legal actions, just buy signs from trustworthy and experienced signs manufacturing and designing companies such as Celtic House Name Plates. A reliable organisation knows which nameplates or colours work well with your particular house design or will let you abide by the law.

It has become a necessity. Detecting your house can be difficult for visitors or guests who are coming to your place for the first time. Installing Welsh slate signs in London can make the house look spellbinding that can come with minimal investment if you don’t want to break the bank.

Without putting a dent on your wallet, enjoy a house up-gradation that no other house building work offers. Transform the way your house looks with custom made house names in London.

Selecting a reputed sign production company is important when you want to change the way your house looks along with making it stand out among numerous other houses. From cutting to designing the nameplate — a specialist covers all. Once you have hired an expert, it becomes their responsibility to select the right design and size of the house number on behalf of you. This protects you from the avoidable hassle that nobody wants to face.

Enjoy a smooth journey with your nameplate design company!

[erhiem]

You are welcome world builder, our ongoing series of conversations with the most productive and thoughtful behind-the-scenes craftsmen. In this entry, we chat with Edgar Wright, Ron Mel, and Russell Mel about tying The Sparks Brothers together, escaping the maudlin drivel, and imitating the band’s energetic humour.

Love makes you flirt. Inherent passion can only seep through for so long. Eventually, it must break, and those around you are made aware. You don’t want to be quiet when it comes to your love. You want your friends, neighbors and strangers to know about it. After a few days under its influence, you are shouting from the tops of the mountains, “sparks God is the greatest band in human history!”

pop-rock duo ron male and Russell Male Infects certain people in a certain way. Consuming sparks is like catching a virus, and you spread your glee as soon as you bump into others, and it makes its way to the next person after that, and so on. The band is simultaneously prolific and unseen, but its champions are nearly infinite, and more importantly, very loud.

edgar wright Couldn’t understand why there wasn’t already a documentary dedicated to his talent. After meeting Ron and Russell in 2015, the prospect of The Sparks Brothers Boiled. Wright was in love, and even though Sparks is admired by many, and all the weirdest musicians appreciate his magic, Wright wanted the rest of the world to be equally enchanted.

The Sparks Brothers Edgar Wright’s blatant rally is crying out. He was honored that the Meles took his friendship with him, and even though people say never to meet his heroes, Wright discovers a great generosity flowing from Ron and Russell. And the stories he gave to Wright demanded a larger audience.

“Talking to them on camera in a documentary is no different than the first coffee we had,” explains Wright. “Meeting Ron and Russell in person started worrying about the idea that there should be a documentary. Their story needed to be captured on film.”

Unbeknownst to Wright, Ron and Russell had already been approached about possible documentaries. They always refused. The last thing they wanted was a dull Best of Sparks recollection or a documentary serving as a preemptive headstone. But getting Wright out was an impossible notion.

“We’re fans of Edgar’s movies,” says Russell. “Any previous hesitation of not doing so for reasons such as, ‘Is this obituary for a band, and here’s your fine gold watch, and see you later,’ went away. Edgar insisted That would be a thesis in the documentary. All the different eras along the way have led the spark so far. Knowing all this, we trusted Edgar to do what Edgar does best.”

What Meles saw in Wright’s films was a kinship. They recognize a strange partner, and Strange look out for each other. The brothers didn’t even need to discuss the alternative. Their cooperation was undeniable.

“One factor that determines how people get along best is a shared sense of humour,” Ron says. “Obviously, Russell and I have it through music. Edgar has the same thing. It’s a secret club, people who have a certain sense of humor, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a romantic situation. Or is creative.”

Music doctor common to all parties Avoiding hard work was paramount. As envisioned by Wright, the task became one of transferring, or better yet, transferring sparks sensations. The brothers spent decades doing heavy lifting. The director only needed to wrap his film in piracy, claiming his aesthetic for his narrative.

“When you know what Ron and Russell are capable of,” Wright says, “on stage and on records and in videos and on album covers, it’s just a gift. Now you’re able to get in touch. [the film] in such a way. I mean, in terms of all the media, using all the tools at your disposal in the same way that they make up an album. “

Wright flashed sparks in front of him and took out his scissors. He used to slip here and there. Then, he glued the parts back together, and the resulting Frankenstein monster uncovers the tissue that links Sparks’ earlier era to its current iteration. The method is right there in madness.

“There were things that were a jumping off point,” Wright continues. copying some of the aesthetics of the album cover and video. All interviews are done in the style of Richard Avedon covers big Beat. I think I told Ron and Russell a long time ago, ‘Hey, we should do all interviews like this.’ They are in black and white like the same classic cover. It makes the collection stuff really pop. “

Putting Ron and Russell’s energy on his passion didn’t feel like a decision to Wright. The Sparks Brothers’ The aim is to bullhorn their vibe and grab the attention of those who are yet to fall under their spell. Once viewed, viewers must race to collect the album and the videos they missed.

“Even small things like animation are no-brainers,” says Wright. “Because Ron and Russell have used animation brilliantly in recent videos. In fact, stuff with the stop motion puppet versions of Ron and Russell, they were done by Joseph Wallace, who in 2017 wrote ‘Edith Piaf (Sad It Better Than Me)’ did a video for him.

Russell Mel was excited to see Wright explain the Sparks style, but he still wasn’t sure what. The Sparks Brothers will actually be about. He was unable to see what the outside audience would do to his story.

“We didn’t know what the thrust of the film would be,” Russell says. “What is the angle of this documentary compared to other documentaries? Where is the clear point of the great dilemma? Where is the big problem with drugs and overcoming it and how does it affect music? None of the band members are hating each other.”

But creating a narrative wasn’t really Russell’s or Ron’s problem. Considering Wright was at liberty to take that pressure off. And he does not need to panic with his director.

“Once we saw the documentary,” Russell continues, “and started getting backlash, [the theme] There was something that never even killed us. It is about the emotional side of creative endeavours and to have one’s own creative values ​​and one’s own integrity. It was something that was a real bonus for us, because we’re so close to the position, and we never thought it was some kind of angle, but Edgar did. “

Wright always thought he and the brothers would get along, and he made the film to prove their creative connection. somewhere dropping out Sparks hides. His rhythm and his utterly comical humor is at the bottom of every script.

“I think what Ron and Russell have done in the band is no different than what I’ve done in my movies,” says Wright. “His approach to the subject is completely honest. That doesn’t stop us from playing with form. That’s what’s great about Sparks. His approach to the lyric-art and the emotion that goes into the lyrics is extremely honest. But there’s a kind of takeaway where you can play with the expectations and reverse the genre. And that’s what I’ve done in my comedy films and things.”

There was a lot of self-deprecation to be had within that worship. The Sparks Brothers Cannot exist as a grand love festival. The jabs were needed as a joke. Pedestals were built only so that mails could be taken away from them.

“I love Sparks, and I love music documentaries,” says Wright, “but that won’t stop me from making fun of him at the same time.” I knew these guys would be sports. You can tell that from music videos and TV appearances and album covers. They are not an old-fashioned band with no sense of humor about themselves. “

Ron Mel invites Wright to do his worst. They knew their collaboration would increase the reach of Sparks. whatever fun or creative fulfillment went into making The Sparks Brothers Did not compare to actual sales of more records.

“In a very basic way,” says Ron, “maybe even in a selfish way; It’s a great thing that those who’ve seen the documentary, who didn’t know about Sparks before, will now get their first exposure for the band. Yes, it’s something that Sparks fans will go crazy for, but it’s at least as inspiring to know that there are people who, for whatever reason, don’t know about the band, and thus they don’t know about it. I’ll find out what we’ve done. You can have an instant history of twenty-five albums and get them online.”

The Sparks Brothers It was fun for the Meles brothers, and it’s a cherished production for Edgar Wright, but the music remains the thing. Songs are messages. Like music videos or album covers, documentaries are another means of slapping a potential listener’s face.

Hey, check it out. The spark is wild. You will dig it and fall in love. pass it.

Edgar Wright’s The Sparks Brothers opens in theaters on June 18.

Source

The post Edgar Wright and the Sparks Brothers are Here to Spread Love appeared first on Spicy Celebrity News.

[fuller-writing]

Knowledge is Power

The grainy surveillance footage was from the 7-11 across from Kalela Jones’s house. The policeman pointed at her dot sprinting towards her front door and then to the man following her, Tony Albeniz.

On the screen, Dr. Jones seemed to trip and almost topple over. She paused for a second, and then continued running. Later, Martin identified her expensive high heels that she had been so proud of lying forgotten in a snowbank. The right shoe had a broken heel, and Martin knew that while she ran from her attacker, nothing else had mattered to her except escape.

The video showed the man approaching Kalela as she frantically tried to unlock her door. At first, he only shouted and pleaded with her. Eventually, he grabbed her arm and Kalela shrieked and kicked out her leg in his direction. He jumped back and her bare foot scraped uselessly across the ice of her driveway. She redoubled her efforts to open the garage door, strange sobs escaping her throat.

“Please, Dr. Jones, just tell me. I swear, no one else will find out. You have my word,” Tony Albeniz had told the police later that he’d said that.

Kalela shoved him away and managed to lock herself inside her house. For a moment, the video surveillance seemed peaceful as Albeniz seemed to be walking away.

Inside, Kalela pulled out her cell phone and dialed 9-11.

April 2, 2020. 11:15 EST

Martin had worked with Dr. Jones since they were both in college and he had never seen her lose control like this. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, which practically vibrated with fear. If her emotion hadn’t been a huge factor in their experiment, he wouldn’t have cared. On his worse days, he might have relished in her stress.

Martin exchanged a look with Andrea, who held Dr. Jones’s right hand. For a second, they battled silently about who should comfort Dr. Jones, and in the end, he lost.

“You’re ready,” He said. Martin knew Dr. Jones would appreciate the succinctness of his compassion. As it was, she still glared coldly at him, just will less energy than usual.

“I am,” Dr. Jones agreed.

When she stood, she looked as statue-like as ever. All traces of doubt left her figure and she began placing the electrodes on her forehead and heart with admiral detachment. When she was ready, she nodded once to Martin and Andrea, before calmly striding to her execution chair.

Martin, Andrea, and the twelve assistants took their places, none of them sparing a glance at Dr. Jones. Now, she was just another practice dummy. The beats of her heart echoing through the chamber sounded no different than the simulation.

It seemed to Martin as though the team worked to the beat of Dr. Jones’s heart. On the diastole of the beat, he engaged the program. On the systole, he typed in the first command. On the diastole, the fourth in command administered the first shock. On the systole, another shock. After two more, Dr. Jones’s heart beat one last long diastole and gave out.

Without her heart to guide them, the work felt more chaotic and terrifying. The worst part was that there was nothing left to do now except wait and monitor for four full days. As the team began to turn their computers to autopilot and discuss the experiment in low voices, Andrea clapped Martin on the back. The pat felt more like she was trying to dislodge a piece of food from his throat than encouragement, but he smiled wanly at her. He doubted he would sleep for the next four days.

April 6, 2020. 11:15 EST

Life went on while Dr. Jones turned grayer. The machines kept her cells from rupturing and releasing the enzymes that would decompose her body. For all intents and purposes, Dr. Jones was dead; Her brain and heart no longer sent signals through her body. But the team kept enough of her body fighting that bringing her back would be possible, even after four days. The hardest part was maintaining her consciousness throughout the procedure.

For years, Dr. Jones and Martin had researched. Well, Martin thought ruefully, Dr. Jones had researched and Martin, a Harvard graduate, had brought her take-out. Finally, three years ago, Dr. Jones created ‘the thinker’. This machine didn’t really think, but used a tiny part of Dr. Jones brain to channel conscience streams onto its hard drive. When she woke, Dr. Jones could examine ‘the thinker’s’ conscience as though it were her own.

Martin wasn’t worried about waking Dr. Jones. Her body was in optimal condition for resurrection. All day they had worked slowly to revive her organs and remove some waste products that had built up. Now it was as simple as restarting her heart with the defibrillators.

“Ready?” Martin whispered into the intercom.

A shock went through the body. Then another one. For ten whole minutes of terror, Martin thought it might not work. But then the assistant at station 8 announced that she was breathing. Four doctors approached Dr. Jones and their fiddling obscured her from Martin’s view.

“We have to download the memories now, before she can make true sense of the real world. Otherwise they might be tainted by her experiences now,” Andrea reminded Martin.

Martin commed to the 8th assistant as much. One of the doctors pressed the ‘eject’ button. It took only a second for Dr. Jones to process her new memories, but in that time Martin could tell something was terribly wrong. Her eyes screwed up like she might sneeze, and then she screamed and didn’t stop until her voice gave out.

August 29, 2020. 18:12 EST

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Dr. Kalela Jones, Nobel prize winner for physiology and medicine and the scientist that recently discovered the answer to humanity’s oldest question: what happens after death.”

Kalela squeezed Martin’s hand once before she stood. He didn’t start when she made gestures of affection like this anymore. This new and softer Kalela had taken some getting used to, and even more surprising was that Martin actually quite liked her when she wasn’t so stuck-up. The audience clapped politely, although they stopped quickly, too eager to hear Kalela talk.

“Thank you,” She smiled graciously, “Thank you New York City for inviting me to this incredible dinner. I must be completely forthright with you: my decision has not changed. I will not now or ever release the contents of my fifteen year investigation. I will take this secret to the grave and it will die with me. I have found the bounds of science. More than anything else, I have discovered a branch of science that should never again be investigated. There are some things that humans are not meant to know. Not yet, although you will find out eventually.

“I have discovered the power of knowledge over and over through my years, but this is the most conclusive evidence I have ever found that humans are slaves to curiosity. My team and I are most guilty of this. We sought power over our curiosity. We achieved that power, and now I must wield it wisely. There is no higher responsibility in my life than ensuring that no one else ever repeats this experiment or endeavors to understand death again. If you looked at the ramifications of this knowledge logically, you would agree with me.

Religion would become extinct or else transmogrify into a horrible cult-like imitation. Without the fear of the unknown, murder, war, and suicide would increase. Everything that once was beautiful because of the immediacy of death will dim: music, art, laughter, family. No amount of grandieur or money’s worth the collapse of society.

That being said, my various patents and notes on the subject have been destroyed. Anyone wishing to know the answer will simply have to wait, or waste years of their life recreating my inventions.”

Kalela’s voice dropped in volume and she spoke tenderly, as if to a child.

“I can tell you this. There is nothing so important as life. You’ve heard it all before, but cherish every second and especially every person. Something I’ve realized is that the thing we call power which humans crave with every fiber of their being is truly a craving for love and admiration. With love comes responsibility. A responsibility to our loved ones and to that which we love. A promise that we will not destroy each other for personal gain. A promise that we will be loved and love as many people as possible. I swear to you that if you do this, you will feel powerful.”

Kalela nodded to the silent audience. It was the first time in Martin’s memory that an audience did not clap. Some were obviously angry, while others looked thoughtful. Everyone was too absorbed in their thoughts to notice Kalela’s quiet descent from stage.

August 29, 2020. 21:47 EST

“Please don’t make me walk home alone,” Kalela said, her hand hovering over her seatbelt, her eyes pleading with Martin.

Martin glanced at the bus, where the driver looked pointedly at his watch.

“Sorry ‘Lela, I really do have to get going. I’ll see you at work tomorrow, yeah?”

Kalela looked like she wanted to storm off, and six months ago, she would have. But tonight she only smiled her forgiveness and hugged Martin with one arm. Martin watched her head of enormous hair disappear and boarded the bus again.

September 20, 2020. 14:47 EST

Later, a combination of the police, Tony Albeníz, and security footage helped Martin piece together what had happened on Kalela’s fateful walk home.

Albeníz, a desperate, sad man, had followed her all the way from the dinner in the City. Neighbors reported screaming for minutes before the first gunshot, which had shattered Kalela’s patio door, but missed her. The second bullet shattered part of her rib cage and ruptured her liver.

In her case, it didn’t matter at all that Kalala hadn’t suffered much. All Martin could think of was her horrible drawn out scream after she woke up after her experiment.

He turned the small leatherbound diary over in his hand. It was the only record Kalela hadn’t destroyed, although he didn’t understand why she hadn’t. Or why she had left it to him in her will, but Martin knew what he had to do. She was giving him the option to know information that Tony Albeniz had been willing to kill for. He supposed it was her way of saying…he didn’t know. Maybe ‘sorry’ for treating him so poorly for most of their time together. Maybe as a sign of respect to him for standing by her side for so long. Maybe. But he couldn’t help thinking that, knowing Kalela, it was probably a test. Did he trust her enough to heed her last warning?

He stuffed the book under the fold of the ridiculous dress the embalmers had stuffed her into. “I guess you really will take this secret to the grave,” he murmured. Martin thought that Kalela would have liked his attempt at humor. He took one last look at the body, so much like how he’s seen her for those four days before everything changed.

As he walked away, he remembered one more thing, “Thank you.”

[oliver-crown]

ACP - Critical Essay

The use of Polaroid Instant Film in Ryan McGinley’s Contemporary Practice

A photograph is defined not only by its content, but also something tangible that exists in it’s own right. Whether this be a physical print, or a a trace of the image on a screen, made up by pixels and code, the materiality of the photograph has just as much affect on the viewer as the subject matter. Geoffrey Batchen (2004) highlights the ‘need to develop a way of talking about the photograph that can attend to its various physical attributes, to its materiality as a medium of representation’. This notes not only the objective features of the photograph that make it identifiable as what it is, but also the artists’ choice of medium, and how they have adapted it to its’ most realised potential. It is the physical attributes of the photograph that allow for more channels of communication between the artist and the viewer. Choices in materiality and physicality add context and meaning to why the artist has chosen to produce and present their work through a specific medium. 

We can analyse the materiality by identifying two key aspects of the photograph; the plasticity of the image itself, the chemistry, the paper it is printed on, the toning, the resulting surface variations’ and ‘presentational forms, such as cartes de visite, cabinet cards, albums, mounts and frames’ (Edwards and Hart, 2004). In short, we look at the materiality of production and the materiality of the outcome. Instant photography is a medium that has undergone lots of various, material aesthetic changes in history, due to the developmental technology used when producing prints. Using Polaroid as a reference, we can see the changes in technology that have enabled cultural shifts and how we interact with the medium. 

Polaroid have seen insignificant development since it’s release in 1947 is what Edwin H. Land dubbed ‘one-step’ instant film. His release was intended to cut the process of printing images down to simply ‘one step’ of taking the photograph, and letting the camera’s built in technology do the rest. Land’s first take on instant photography, saw the responsibility still sit with the photographer to remove the film from the camera and peel away the negative sheet. However 25 years later, with his release of the SX-70, this process was truly cut down to ‘one step’ with the automation technology relying on the new, integral film.

Polaroid enabled a shift in the relationship between the photographer and their equipment, by embedding the print technology into the camera itself (Hand, 2012). The development of ‘one step’ printing turned the process of making a photograph into a less skilled action, due to the lack of dark room printing processes a photographer had to do. Now lacking the human tactility when producing the prints, the new technology was widely rejected by amateur photographers (Buse, 2008), where there became a stigma that the medium was unskilled and didn’t show talent as a photographer. The release of the SX-70 discarded the physical negative, keeping it hidden inside the integral frame, making the new process even more dissimilar to analogue, dark room printing. 

But how has a brand that had so much cultural backlash when released, become a household name, and a medium that is still highly prevalent in contemporary artists work? One photographer that is at the forefront of the medium is Ryan McGinley, an American artist working in New York. ‘The Kids Are Alright’ was exhibited in 2000 at a small gallery in West Broadway, New York. Sylvia Wolf, after receiving a copy of the photobook accompanying the exhibition, helped McGinley to upscale the exhibition for a show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where he broke the record as the youngest ever solo exhibitor. His exhibition and supporting photobook showcased hundreds of Polaroids, taken from the over 10,000 shot between the years of 1998-2003. The exhibition was revived in 2017 by curator Nora Burnett Abrams, putting the Polaroids on display in Denver alongside a collection of prints of his close friends and inner circle. Director and Chief Animator of the MCA, Adam Lerner, talks on the artists’ subject matter when explaining that ‘naked bodies abound in McGinley’s photographs’ (2017). But this isn’t a new feature in galleries and museums. Nudes have been recurrent in photography since the mediums’ invention in the 19th Century, but they have been constantly criticised for representing the real with a true likeness. McGinley pushes this further however, photographing his close friends in very personal circumstances. Lerner further explains ‘A woman is seen shovelling coke up her nose […] a guy is holding up his dick […] cum is dripping down his face’. This intimate subject matter shown by McGinley, taken on a medium that is personal and a symbol of shared experience between a photographer and a sitter, on the walls of a gallery is an insight into, put simply, his life. Thus, the intimacy of the photographs mirrors the cultural fact of Polaroid, both being this tangible, cherished exchange. 

McGinley gained a name for himself as a photographer for embracing the use of Polaroid, but in an interview with Miss Rosen for Dazed (2017) he explained that the medium ‘opened up (him) to being able to photograph the person for the rest of the day or night’. After carefully shooting the first frame of the sitter, McGinley would shoot dozens of rolls of film of whatever he wanted to shoot. In the same interview, he explains the ritualistic nature of the shoots ‘The person who is being photographed is being celebrated because I would take the Polaroid and then we’d look at it. I’d write their name, the time it was shot, and the date on the back and then I’d stick it on my wall’ (McGinley, 2017). 

Analogue processes, especially the use of Polaroid, enabled McGinley to create an identity as a photographer. It was the work that landed him his first large scale exhibition, which we associate with his body of work, even in contemporary practice. Although, McGinley has progressed into the use of digital for some projects, his prevalence and coverage in the media is almost solely based around his use of analogue processes. Although McGinley has progressed into digital photography for some work, he chooses an appropriate medium for each project, with no bias towards either analogue or digital. For example, for his 2018 project ‘Mirror Mirror’ McGinley instructed people to shoot 5 rolls of colour negative film following various instructions based around mirrors and reflections. McGinley provided all of his subjects with the camera, mirrors and instructions, however he wasn’t present in any of the images. He directed all of his models taking the self portraits through a series of detailed instructions. In the first set of instructions, McGinley explained ‘the photographs are shot on film so the subject cannot see the results they are shooting’ (McGinley, 2018). The choice to produce this work on film was key to the intentions and outcome of the project, as if the images were shot digitally then McGinley’s subjects would be shooting the images in a completely different way. Not being able to see the images as they are being shot, allows for a lot more experimentation and playfulness in the images, as there is a lack of judgement between frames. 

‘New Originals’ was a project in collaboration with Polaroid Originals that took place in New York, 2017. McGinley was chosen by the brand to select 5 emerging photographers that shoot on Polaroid film to showcase their work in an exhibition celebrating the young creatives using the medium in their work. This idea was intended to be a commercial recreation of how McGinley was selected for his first solo exhibition by Sylvia Wolf in 2003, whilst also being good coverage for Polaroid Originals as a brand. In material terms, this collaboration was purely reliant on analogue processes and disregarding of technological advances, but social media had a large influence on McGinley’s choice of exhibitors. In an interview with Anna Zanes for Office Magazine he explains that ‘I wouldn’t say it’s all through Instagram, but I mean, isn’t that how everybody gets visual information these days?’ (McGinley, 2017). This shift in culture is a commentary on technology and it’s influence over how we see and interact with art and photography. In contemporary practice, almost all photographers have an online social presence, in one form or another. Whether it is used to post your actual work, interact with people that enjoy your work or just as a contact tool. McGinley is no exception here, running an account that showcases his professional work and occasionally shows an insight into his processes and personal life. 

Another case study is when Ryan McGinley released 15 never-before-published film images in collaboration with We Transfer, a digital online platform for users to transfer and share files. The project showcased McGinley’s analogue prints alongside an interview between himself and Kathy Ryan, renowned director of photography for the New York Times. The accompanying interview gave insight to his work process, as Kathy Ryan curated images that are inspired by his family life, his obsession with nudity and the constant theme of rebellion in his work. So even though this work was produced on film, taken on various road trips around America, when published there is still the influence of digital technology that makes the exhibition accessible to viewers. When shooting, McGinley wasn’t aware that the images would be shown online in a collaborative exhibition, however it was the influence of curator Kathy Ryan and what she did with the images that brought the analogue images into a digital context.

It is this point that makes us wonder whether in a contemporary setting work can solely be produced and shown using analogue techniques. In an essay for The Anxiety of Photography, Matthew Thompson explains ‘Photography is thoroughly and visibly connected to technological apparatus and […] technology is constantly changing’ (Thompson, 2011). This argues that the potential for creating a contemporary project without use of digital processes is less likely to occur when the technology that enables and accompanies photography has progressed so much. An exhibition such as McGinley’s ‘New Originals’, a project consisting of analogue prints mainly on Polaroid instant film, is now a project that wasn’t solely produced via analogue processes. The smallest involvement of digital process such as online curation or online coverage can alter the contextual factors affecting the work. For example, the material processes and techniques to produce work for ‘New Originals’ is undeniably analogue. The work was shot on Polaroid instant film, using Polaroid cameras, and the prints were created in camera using Instant integral film. As a viewer of this exhibition, it could be argued that seeing the work in person, without prior knowledge of how the artists were chosen is seeing the work of analogue processes. As soon as the work is posted online, or you learn of the online curation via social media, there is an added depth to the work which takes it out of an analogue context. 

A similar point can be made for the online exhibition in collaboration with We Transfer, whereby the production of the work was solely analogue, however Kathy Ryan decided to take the images and make them available online. This online publishing of the article and supporting images enabled McGinley’s images to be taken into a digital context, making them more accessible to wider audiences worldwide. 

This development of technology into a digital era for photography is a similar occurrence to what we saw with the progression of Polaroid Technology in the mid 1900s. As mentioned, the instant camera started off with more physical processes required to produce a print, namely removing the film from the camera and peeling off the negative slide from the print. However with technological advancements, we saw the process of shooting Polaroid become a completely different thing, with the camera developing the print itself automatically and leaving the only physical task for the photographer to do is remove the print from the camera. The development of technology allowed for the process of image printing to become easier and more accessible to those who didn’t have access to dark rooms or other analogue printing technologies. Similarly we have seen the development of digital technologies, and their large influence on the way we interact with photography, whether it is shot analogue or digital. In contemporary practice, it is so much easier to scan and post images you have made online making them more accessible to larger audiences than if they are only shown in exhibitions. But because of this ease now to put your work on social media, it has become more important to keep up with technology to an extent, in order to not fall behind. 

To an extent, a photographer should create an identity for themselves producing work in whatever style they desire, whether this is using solely analogue processes, the newest digital technologies and techniques or a combination of the both. Staying true to themselves is what helps to create consistency in a body of work, which is what Ryan McGinley has done throughout his career. After launching to fame with his project shot on Polaroid, he has continued to use the medium in his more contemporary work. What McGinley has also done, however is adapt to the advancing technologies that have become available to him. When contemporary processes are applicable or necessary to use for a project, he won’t disregard them. Whether the technology is a large influence like the method of shooting the project or a small influence of online curation for an exhibition, it is difficult for contemporary artists to work solely using analogue processes in a given context. 

References

Batchen, G. (2004). Forget Me Not: photography and Remembrance. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

Buse, P. (2008). Surely Fades Away. Polaroid Photography and the Contradictions of  Cultural Value, in ‘Photographies’, pp 221 - 238.

Edwards, E and Hart, J. (2004). Photographs Objects Histories: On the Materiality of Images. Oxfordshire: Routledge.

Hand, M. (2012). Ubiquitous Photography. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Land, E. H. (1972). Absolute One-Step Photography, in ‘Photographic Science and Engineering’. 16 (4) pp. 247-252.

McGinley, R. (2017). ‘New Originals with Ryan McGinley’ Interviewed by Anna Zanes for Office, 6th December 2017.

McGinley, R. (2017). ‘Ryan McGinley talks coming full circle’ Interviewed by Miss Rosen for Dazed, 24th April 2017.

McGinley, R. (2018). Untitled. [Online]. [Accessed 20th April 2020]. Available from https://ryanmcginley.com/mirrormirror

Minniti, S. (2016). Photo-Objects and Analogue Instant Photography in the Digital Age, in Italian Journal of Science and Technology Studies. 

Ryan, K. (2017). ‘WeTransfer Studios x Ryan McGinley’ Interviewed by Kathy Ryan for WePresent, 7th November 2017.

Thompson, M. (2011). ‘The Object Lost and Found’ in Thompson, The Anxiety of Photography, Aspen Art Museum: 2011.

[womenofcolor15]

GIVE US GLAMOUR (Women Of The Year): Ava DuVernay Urges Women To Keep Building Bomb Empires + More #BlackExcellence Hits The Carpet

Glamour magazine hosted their annual Women of the Year Awards and Ava DuVernay delivered a word like only she can. Catch up on the gems she dropped, plus red carpet flicks from your faves like Niecy Nash, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira and more inside…

Leave it to director Ava DuVernay to drop gems we all can use.

Glamour magazine hosted its annual Women of the Year Awards to honor all of the female game changers in Hollywood. And, of course, fab directress Ava DuVernay was inducted in this year’s class of women who are trailblazing and pushing boundaries in Hollywood.

The gorgeous (and newly single) Niecy Nash, who starred in Ava’s Netflix series “When They See Us,” presented Ava with the award and praised her for what she brings to the industry and how fabulous she is overall.

“Ava DuVernay affirms you and assures you; she validates your choices as an artist. She makes each actor feel like you’re her favorite—‘Wait, she likes them that much, too?’ She is indeed that gorgeous dreadlocked woman we know, in the gowns, on the red carpet, but her sweet spot is on the couch, eating Pinkberry—absolutely with toppings."

Aww!

“At the core, we are two girls straight out of Compton, trying to use our talents to be of service to the world,” the "Claws" actress continued. “Through her production company, Array, Ava creates opportunities for underrepresented storytellers, like a 50% female production crew on her latest series, Cherish the Day. Her goal for When They See Us wasn’t, ‘Let me tell a story that will be critically acclaimed, so I can be the industry darling.’ It was, ‘Let me tell a story about the pain that people have suffered. Let me shine a light of truth.' Now that light is shining. And because she’s smart, she made sure the series was critically acclaimed too. Because the size of that light means more people will see."

"I am blessed to know Ava as an artist and a friend. I’m double dipping. Normally I don’t advocate jealousy but I’m saying, if you are jealous of me, rightfully so. Because what the rest of the world sees in her art, I see in her heart," she concluded.

  During Ava's acceptance speech, she talked about the importance of inclusion and encouraged women to keep building BOMB empires to show the world just how fabulous and bad a** women can be.

  "Inclusion is about creating a seat at the table for all of us," the SELMA directress told the audience. "Pulling up a chair for those left out. It denotes an absence being remedied."

I also believe in making our own doors, disrupting all systems built in such a way that inclusion is even needed in the first place. My truth is I don’t want a chair at the table. Or even three or even half anymore. I want the table to be rebuilt. In my likeness. And in the likeness of others long forced out of the room.

She shared examples to prove that institution building Institution building can look however we want.

"And their excellence. My excellence. Your excellence. The excellence of those who will come after us is within oneself, only experienced when the rhythm is in perfect working order. When we aren’t striving for seats. When we build new tables, new paradigms. New institutions. Or none at all.

"I urge us all to assert a presence of excellence, to build our own monuments. In our own likeness. For ourselves. And to bring the truth with us. Every time."

A whole word.

"Grown-ish" actress Yara Shahidi (above styling in a Schiaparelli dress alongside her mom Keri Shahidi) was also honored during the awards ceremony, and she too, shared some words of wisdom.

Peep 19-year-old's moving speech below:

          View this post on Instagram

                  Grateful to be of a lineage of change makers whose NO shakes systems and breaks barriers #WOTY Thank you @glamourmag x @sambarry for the opportunity to share space with incredible humans

A post shared by Yara Shahidi (@yarashahidi) on Nov 13, 2019 at 8:04pm PST

  So young, yet so full of wisdom.

By the way....

          View this post on Instagram

                  //We move through new experiences together//

A post shared by Keri Shahidi (@chocolatemommyluv) on Nov 12, 2019 at 1:12pm PST

  Yara's entire family was in the mix to celebrate! Nice.

  Black Panther starlet Danai Gurira made her way on the carpet in A Tory Burch dress from the SS20 Ready-To-Wear collection before presenting the designer with her Glamour Woman of the Year Award.

“Tory is unapologetic with her brand. The bold way she adorns women with class, flair, and fun all at once, and with the way she is working to leave no woman or girl behind," Danai said. "To popularize feminine ambition. From the millions of dollars she invests in female entrepreneurs to her awareness campaigns, arming people with education on the grotesque gender gap that still exists in so many ways. Tory is a champion for change, using the fruits of her ambition to nurture and empower the ambition of others.”

"The Handmaid's Tale" star Samira Wiley made her rounds during the ceremony, snapping selfies and presenting. And she looked BOMB!

"How To Get Away With Murder" actress Aja Naomi King was queening during a Cinderella moment on the carpet in a yellow Marc Jacobs couture gown. Goge.

Aja linked up with novelist Tomi Adeyemi (also shining in yellow) before hitting the stage to present.

  Daytime TV host and new mom Tamron Hall made her way to the event, posing it up on the carpet and catching photo-ops with Yara and Charlize Theron:

  Professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe snapped it up with Muslim model Halima Aden after accepting her Woman of the Year Award. During her speech, she thanked former 49ers quarterback/activist Colin Kapernick.

She said Colin demonstrated “courage and bravery” and was “filled with conviction, unafraid of the consequences. Because he knew, it really wasn’t about playing it safe. It was about doing what is necessary and backing down to exactly nobody.”

“While I’m enjoying all of this unprecedented — and, frankly, a little bit uncomfortable — attention and personal success, in large part due to my activism off the field, Colin Kaepernick is still effectively banned from the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of known and systematic police brutality against people of color, known and systematic racial injustice, and known and systematic white supremacy,” she said.

Facts!

"The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah was in the mix as he was tapped to present.

POSE MJ Rodriguez slayed on the carpet.

  Model/activist Bethann Hardison came out for the women empowerment event.

Fab times! 

Photos: Getty/Backgrid/Instar

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2019/11/13/ava-duvernay-urges-women-to-keep-building-bomb-empires-during-glamour-women-of-the-year-a