Bombs

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Diego Trujillo The 300 Year Time Bomb, 2012
‘There’s something both disquieting and strangely appealing about a bomb engineered to explode in exactly 300 years time. Even if none of us will be there to experience it. The bomb’s timer displays the years in seconds making us question what meaning such a large number holds and changing our dramatic relationship with countdown timers.’

 

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Dietrich Wegner Playhouse, 2011
‘In Playhouse, I combine an atomic bomb’s mushroom cloud, with one of the safest places one can go, their childhood playhouse.’

 

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Nancy Spero Male Bombs, 1966
‘A series of works in which a bomb becomes an anthropomorphic form spewing sperm-like heads—smoky, messy, and seemingly blood stained.’

 

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Forensic Architecture The Bombing of Rafah, 2016
‘The Black Friday report is a collaboration between Forensic Architecture and Amnesty International. It aims to provide a detailed reconstruction of the events in Rafah, Gaza, from 1-4 August 2014, based primarily on material found on social media.

‘Because our investigation team was denied access to Gaza, Forensic Architecture developed a number of techniques aimed to reconstruct the events from hundreds of images and videos recorded by professional and citizen journalists. The images were thereafter located in a 3D model of Rafah. This resulted in the Image Complex, a device that allowed us to explore the spatial and temporal connections between the various sources and reconstruct the events as they unfolded.

‘Forensic Architecture has also located witness testimonies, delivered after the war, within this 3D model and corroborated the reported events with other audio-visual material. Where the metadata of image material was missing or inadequate, we used time indicators such as observed shadows or bomb clouds to locate sources in space and time.’

 

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Atelier Van Lieshout Pipe-bomb Clock, 2018
‘The Pipe-bomb Clock is steel, working clockworks attached to a pipe-bomb on a steel frame and pedestal. This improvised explosive device suggests that time is running out.’

 

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Gregory Green Suitcase Bombs, 1995
Mixed media

 

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Moira Dryer Bomb, 1982
casein on wood

 

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Robert Longo Sickness of Reason, 2003
charcoal on mounted paper

 

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Rocío Garriga Pop-bomb, 2018
‘Sculptural installation of 19 small brass sculptures representing popcorn in its different explosion stages, in a methacrylate urn with a black base intervened with texts of the 8 types of fire bombs most commonly used during World War II.’

 

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Jeremy Deller It is what it is, 2009
‘The car in Jeremy Deller’s It is what it is, was destroyed in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq in 2007. The mangled wreckage here, as is often the case in media reports of war, stands in for the destruction of human life, in this case the deaths of thirty eight people. Though we are all too used to seeing images of such vehicles, finding oneself confronted with the real thing is a wholly different experience. Deller has gone beyond this though and taken the wrecked car on a road trip around America.’

 

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‘A Coachella man has been arrested on suspicion of threatening to blow up the Desert X outdoor art exhibition. Phillip Carrillo, 32, was arrested 8:50 a.m. Thursday at his home in the 52-000 Block of Primitivo Drive, according to Palm Springs police. Desert X is an internationally renowned biennial art exhibition which offers digital and in-person opportunities to view work across 40 miles of the Coachella Valley, will feature 13 works that range from billboards to paintings.’

 

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Chris Burden The Reason for the Neutron Bomb, 1979
fifty thousand nickels and matchsticks, signage

 

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Fernando Botero Car bomb, 1999
Oil on canvas

 

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Inigo Manglano-Ovalle Dirty Bomb, 2008
‘Dirty Bomb is a full-scale replica of Fat Man, the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki in August 1945, immaculately translated by the artist into white fiberglass and aluminum. Suspended from the ceiling, the bulbous, dirigible-shaped colossus has mud slathering its otherwise pristine snout, much of it dripping to the floor.’

 

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Cildo Meireles Insertions into Ideological Circuits: Coca-Cola Project, 1970
‘For the Coca-Cola Project Meireles removed Coca-Cola bottles from normal circulation and modified them by adding instructions for turning the bottle into a Molotov cocktail, before returning them to the circuit of exchange. On the bottles, such messages as ‘Yankees Go Home’ are followed by the work’s title and the artist’s statement of purpose: ‘To register informations and critical opinions on bottles and return them to circulation’. The Coca-Cola bottle is an everyday object of mass circulation; in 1970 in Brazil it was a symbol of US imperialism and it has become, globally, a symbol of capitalist consumerism. As the bottle progressively empties of dark brown liquid, the statement printed in white letters on a transparent label adhering to its side becomes increasingly invisible, only to reappear when the bottle is refilled for recirculation.’

 

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David Adey The New Bomb, 2007
‘A full-scale replica of a smart-bomb, like the ones used in operation Iraqi Freedom, is constructed with body parts from hundreds of identical miniature, pearl-glazed ceramic lambs.’

 

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GTA 5 Sticky Bomb Mod, 2021
‘The principle for sticky bomb explosion remains something similar across GTA’s different stages, however C4 explosion requires diverse key combinations from one stage to another. Here’s the manner by which to choose, place, and detonate sticky bombs in GTA 5 on your PC. Open the inventory menu by pressing ”Tab. Utilize the mouse to feature the throwable explosives weapon type. Utilize the mouse wheel look to find the C4 within the kind. Close the weapons wheel. Your person ought to hold a sticky bomb. Point the sticky bomb using the right-click on your mouse. Whenever you’ve chosen the area/bearing in which you need to toss the bomb, left-click while as yet holding the right-click. To detonate the sticky bomb (insofar as you’re within range), press ”G” on your console.’

 

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Gert + Uwe Tobias Ribbon Around a Bomb, 2013
ink and collage on paper

 

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Damien Marchal Garbage Truck Bomb, 2010
‘Garbage Truck Bomb is “an interactive sound installation for truck bomb and detonator”. The installation takes the form of a life-size wooden model of a garbage truck, inside which is hidden a cell-phone–activated GSM detonator which at any moment can set off a violent sound deflagration. Here gas bottles, often used in bomb attacks, are subversively remodelled as pressed wood sound sources which boost the resonance of the bass speakers inside them.’

 

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Robert Heinecken Breast/Bomb #5, 1967
Gelatin silver prints, cut and reassembled

 

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Alwin Lay Permanent Sparkler, 2012
‘Everyone loves sparklers, it’s a simple fact. Alwin Lay has created one that never goes out!’

 

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Joan Rabascall Atomic Kiss, 1968
‘Because the purpose of these works is not to cause fear; you have to show the writing of disaster. We are catastrophe illiterates. Legibility is needed to try to understand.’

 

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Lee McDonald Hand grenade, 2010
wood and cardbord

 

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Vandy Rattana Bomb Ponds, 2013
‘These tranquil, almost nondescript bodies of water are known as ‘bomb ponds’ in the Khmer language: craters created when the Americans dropped close to three million tons of bombs across politically neutral Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Despite the damage, injury and deaths inflicted onto Cambodian civilians who had no knowledge of the war being waged by governments, the bombings were not formally acknowledged for years. Like a dark secret kept hidden in plain view, the ponds remain officially invisible.’

 

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Jonathan Latiano Points of Contention, 2011
‘The piece features an explosion of wood, plastic, Styrofoam protruding from a rippling gallery floor.’

 

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Cai Guo-Qiang Drawing with Gunpowder, 2012
‘In March 2012, Cai Quo Qiang worked with over 100 local volunteers to create three monumental drawings made from gunpowder explosions — from the artist’s loose sketching and stencil work, to gunpowder application, to ignition.’

 

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Stephen Johnston Petrol Bombs, 2020
Oil on Canvas

 

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Adel Abdessemed Le Vase abominable, 2013
‘Le Vase abominable is a two-meter tall copper pot positioned on top of a replica of a large explosive device, a carefully crafted bomb, whose relationship to the vase remains ambiguous.’

 

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Andrew Waits Boom City, 2014
‘Photographer Andrew Waits splits fireworks down the middle to reveal their surprising innards of colorful powders, tubes, and conductors. Its seemingly harmless looking contents might come as a surprise, but beware.’

 

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Doug Beube Blast: If You See Something, Say Something, 2008
‘Anyone who has ridden a New York City subway post-911 has heard the frequent broadcast warnings: “If you see something, say something!” or “Backpacks will be inspected!” This work, which alludes to both cautionary announcements, consists of sixteen altered volumes of an Encyclopedia Britannica. Brown wax seals the top and bottom of the cylindrical books, with black and red connective wires clamping onto metal hooks embedded in the top of each cylinder, calling to mind an improvised explosive device.’

 

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Tajinder J Singh 24, Jack Bauer, SEASON 5, Épisode 1, 2011
Polystyrene, wood, plastic

 

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Roy Lichtenstein Wall Explosion I, II, III, IV, 1965
Enamel on steel

 

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Hajra Waheed The Cyphers, 2016
‘A large platform that viewers also look at from above and cull information from. There are 18 technical drawings and a number of metal objects and shrapnel that appear to have either been collected as debris from an explosion or to have fallen from the sky.’

 

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Kichisuke Yoshimura Hiroshima, 1962
‘Their clothes ripped to shreds, their skin hanging down. On the riverbank I saw figures that seemed to be from another world. Ghost-like, their hair falling over their faces, their clothes ripped to shreds, their skin hanging. A cluster of these injured persons was moving wordlessly toward the outskirts.’

 

 

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p.s. Hey. ** Ian, Hi, Ian. Oh, man, big congrats on your impending son! Whoa, that’s huge. I didn’t know there were Star Trek books. But before I discovered avant-garde lit in my teens, I read almost nothing but novels based on TV shows I liked, and there were a shit-ton of them. It’s kind of nice to know that that genre is still ongoing, assuming that’s what you mean. Anyway, I hope your weekend will be exhausting-work-free. Anything cool happen? ** David Ehrenstein, Hi. Not a bad version of that song, but after hearing the Basement Tapes original, it does sound a little chintzy maybe. ** Misanthrope, I’m pretty sure there are teenagers in that film, or at least people in their 20s pretending, but don’t hold me to that. I fear that we organic-doomed people are not of a sufficient number to make extra added effort on the design and manufacturing aspect of organic gear seem financially feasible or something. Ton started getting into scat when he was still pretty popular, and I assume that’s why his popularity declined, although he’s still in the field, or was as of a year or two ago. I hope for a stellar weekend for you, myself, and everyone in the entire world except for maybe a few dictators. ** _Black_Acrylic, ‘Teenagers from Outer Space’ needs a remake, hopefully not a Marvel one. Great that your piece was well-received, and I’m super excited that you’re thinking about a novella! Very noisy, enthusiastic cheerleading from me. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Poor guy. The Richey Edwards connection in your head makes sense. Fundamentally, at least. Yeah, there used two be these ‘boy band mastermind’ guys, like the guy who made Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, and the guy who made Menudo, but I think all of those guys ended up in jail for molesting some of the band boys, so … I don’t know, although I guess the sad boy band members would get molested and feel a little sadder and think, ‘Yeah, what else is new’. Wow, that dry-lipped love was a very beautifully conceived love, not that I would want to kiss him in thanks, mind you. I’d buy one of his pantings. Heck, I’d give him a whole galerie show on the blog, I’m sure. Love hiding a million high powered bombs in every room in the Kremlin and detonating them during work hours, G. ** Marc Labelle, Hi, Marc! Good to meet you, although we’re friends on Facebook, so I already know you from afar. How cool that you read my blog, and thank you for the really kind words. I’m glad my sentiment struck home. I really believe in it. It has kept me going. Thanks a lot for the link/introduction to your band. I’ll go over there as soon as I get out of here. Obviously, any relationship drawn to GbV is equivalent to gilding my imagination. Awesome, thanks a lot! Please imagine my hand grasping your hand fervently even as I freak out a little bit at seeing a hand emerge from my laptop. Take care. And it goes without saying that it’d be only excellent if you want to come back in here and blab any old time. Great weekend to you! ** Bill, Hi. Yeah, that’s it. My friend said it’s a horror western that is unexpectedly very intense and gory. My review when and if I can find it. Film prep us is so far proceeding well, but our chickens are not being counted quite yet. Enjoy your weekend, sir. ** Sypha, Yikes! Scary! ** RrYyAaNn / angusrasgbfhsdjgds, Hey. What you said a few days ago is a golden rule that was unusually well described. Insecurities are inescapable, but knowing that’s what they are will kill them, or at least chloroform them for a while. It won’t surprise you that I think your audience’s reaction is the ideal reaction, so … victoire! I remember the name Natalia Kills, but I don’t think I’ve heard her. I’ll find her stuff, starting with the link, thanks. Take every compliment from a stranger, especially a stranger with talent that you can acknowledge, to heart because that kind of compliment is as guaranteed to be the truth if anything is. I hope your Saturday -> Sunday has a gradual ecstatic build. xo, me. ** John Christopher, Hi, JC! Oh, wow, thank you so much about ‘I Wished’. That’s amazing, thank you! In a way I do agree with the general consensus that Joy Williams’ stories are her best, but, on the other hand, I think my favorite book of hers is her novel ‘The Quick and the Dead’. ‘The Changeling’ is not among my top faves of her either. Ha ha, no, I have not done a Devon Sawa/Final Destination post, but that is an excellent idea. Hm, let me see if I can figure out a way to do that interestingly. And I will endeavor to. Thanks! Have a really fine weekend, and, yeah, come back whenever it suits your purposes please. ** l@rst, I’m going to go find out what the Chuck Tingle hoo-haa is all about this weekend. Speaking of, did you have the weekend of your dreams? ** Steve Erickson, Hi. The director interviewed me for about three hours for that documentary but didn’t use any of it. I have a real problems with that film, a big one being that it hugely overstates BlaB’s importance and centrality to Queer Punk, and in doing so it distorts what QP was and what its trajectory was. And there are a lot of other problems. Like LA had a huge Queer Punk scene and presence, but because a couple of key LA figures like Vaginal Davis refused to be in the film, he just ignored LA almost entirely. And he doesn’t even talk about Bimbox and Johnny Noxzema who were not only possibly the most important Queer Punk progenitors but who transformed and ultimately signaled the end of the movement. Not to mention that the film barely even acknowledges Jayne County who is arguably the progenitor of the movement. And it’s not like the director didn’t know all of that, he just decided to tell a greatly simplistic-fied version of QP artificially centred around BlaB. It’s a shame to think that there probably won’t be another, truer doc about QP to right its wrongs, or not for a long time anyway. ** Brian, Hey, Brian. Ah, okay, well, never mind then. Of course Shakespeare is a no brainer in that context. Wait, so your prof. doesn’t see the difficulty you guys face and isn’t willing to extend the deadline? So you all get punished because one guy didn’t hit one of the assignment’s marks? Fucked up. So sorry, man. Yeah, eyes on the prize of those expired two months, I guess. What choice do you have. Urgh, though. Your day sounds pretty swell, all in all. I detect a number of rewards in there. I hope you can organise whatever school shit into a digestible area and kick back in the margins at the very least. Deep breaths, and catch you afterwards. ** Okay. I made one these thematic posts that I obviously am into making these days, this time operating within the definition of the word ‘bomb’. See you on Monday.