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Destiny Deacon Pacified, 2005 ‘The baby doll of Destiny Deacon’s Pacified sits, broken and subdued, on its gridded backdrop. Like the subjects of ethnographic study, who were often photographed against backcloths and measuring devices, this doll is treated as an object to be observed and quantified.’
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Brian Hanscomb Premature Baby, 2010 Engraving
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Tony Oursler MMPI, 1996 Video installation with video projector, VCR, video tape, small cloth figure and metal chair.
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Thomas Houseago Baby, 2002 plaster
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Yu Chen Red Babies, 2003 mixed media on canvas
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Ronit Baranga Tattooed Baby, 2017 life-like sculpture of an innocent sleeping tattooed baby
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Rob Pruitt Baby, 2011 acrylic, enamel paint and flocking on canvas
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Nina Levy Big Baby, 2003 Cast polyester resin and fibreglass, painted with automotive paint
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Chuck Close Baby Jane, 2018–2019 Oil on canvas
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Ann Lislegaard Cosmic Existence, 2019 installation
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Marlene Dumas Baby, 2008 painting
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Valter Casotto Baby Artists (Paul, Maurizio, Damien), 2018 ‘Casotto’s Hirst-baby is lying among an array of toys including a miniature shark, cows, and a butterfly (common motifs in grown-up Hirst’s art). He is in good company: Casotto has created a sort of artist-kindergarten with miniature versions of Maurizio Cattelan and Paul McCarthy as well.’
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Duane Hanson Baby in Carriage, 1983 polyvinyl sculpture
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Regina José Galindo America’s Family Prison, 2008 ‘In America’s Family Prison, Regina José Galindo deliberately introduces an object that allows the audience to explore, in a metaphoric sense, the complicated landscape of contemporary migration—from the effects of the policies and forms of control adopted by the governments of both transit and destination countries, to the vast range of cultural, racial, and economic stereotypes that dominate these territories. The object consists of a small cube-shaped cell used to hold people detained by the authorities in their attempt to cross the border between Mexico and the United States. Aseptic and intimidating in appearance, this cubicle is mounted on a platform, which gives it a sculptural dimension within the gallery space. This example is but one of the thousands of such portable cells that specialized companies produce for the temporary detention of people involved in criminal cases in the United States, particularly illegal immigrants awaiting resolution of their immigration status.
‘Considering the ways that her audience might connect with the small cell, Galindo began her performance by renting one for the two-month duration of the exhibit. In addition to paying $8,000 to a specialized manufacturer in Oklahoma, the artist—with the support of Artpace–offered to move and adequately install the object, with the purpose of promoting the cell and attracting potential clients in the San Antonio area. The second part of the performance consisted of inhabiting the cell, once it was installed in the gallery, with her husband and young daughter for thirty-six hours. The purpose was to show, in a cold, efficient way, how the cell functioned. Analogous to a model home presented in a housing fair, this prototype cell transformed the Artpace gallery into a temporary shop window intended to attract those interested in the private business of family cells. Viewers could approach the window in order to observe the cell’s interior and the movements of the artist and her companions within it. As if that was not enough, the look and gestures of the external observers functioned as panoptic view. Temporarily, they assumed the role of prison wardens in order to observe and, in a way, control the artist and her family.’
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Grayson Perry Alien Baby, 2022 ‘Police are investigating after a sculpture by the artist and broadcaster Grayson Perry was stolen from a Bristol art gallery. The 27cm glazed ceramic figure, called Alien Baby, was taken from the Hidden Gallery in the Clifton area between 1.15pm and 1.26pm on 30 August, Avon and Somerset police said. Officers said a man wearing a camouflaged baseball cap and dark zip-up jacket walked up to the limited edition gilded ceramic on display at the gallery.’
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Wendy Coburn Fable for Tomorrow, 2009 two porcelain “piano babies,” arms up, seemingly in alarm, with silhouettes of insects crawling over their tiny bodies
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Opal Mae Ong Original Joy, 2023 a floating pair of elegantly gloved hands push a baby stroller
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Chris Salmon Cry Baby, 2018 Etching
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Yin Jun Crying, 2006 oil on canvas
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Isa Genzken Schwules Baby (Gay Baby), 1997 Spray paint on steel and aluminum
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Patricia Piccinini The Builder, 2018 Silicone, fiberglass, hair
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Bruce Davidson Wales, 1965 Gelatin silver print
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Roy Villevoye Madonna (after Omomá and Céline), 2008 ‘Villevoye’s Papuan friend Omomá, who posed for the artist’s first wax sculpture, Madonna (after Omomá and Céline), informed the artist about a dream in which he was visited by an ancestral spirit who warned him of the potential misfortune that awaits him for ‘allowing his soul to be copied and taken to Holland’. His collaboration with the Dutch artist has broken a taboo, which, according to Omamá, can only be undone by further financial compensation – a request that the artist complies with. Regardless, Omomá’s sculptural double will pose a lifelong threat: according to his beliefs, if he ever sees the work that was made after his image, it could result in sickness and, possibly, death.’
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Walter Oltmann Infant, 1992 letterpress on chine collé on paper
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Robert Gober Untitled, 1993-2013 ‘Exposed in its confining crib, this body-sized stick of butter (actually beeswax) by American sculptor Robert Gober is perfectly formed but slightly repulsive. Scattered apples, meticulously crafted in wood are all-American (recalling apple pie or Johnny Appleseed) but suggest that temptations lurk from the earliest days of life.’
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Sayap Kebesaran The Concert, 2009 oil, acrylic on canvas
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Louise Bourgeois The Woven Child, 2002 Fabric, wood, glass, and steel
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Haris Purnomo Waiting for the signal, 2008–09 ‘Continuing the artist’s interest in the dichotomy of good and evil, this work juxtaposes the innocence of infants with tribal symbology and menacing knife blades.’
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Andrea Kim Valdez Newborn, 2009 – 2010 3D object
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Liu Xia Untitled photograph of Liu Xiaobo, 2010 ‘Liu Xia’s late husband, dissident Liu Xiaobo, was not allowed to leave China to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. In China his very name remains forbidden. Liu Xiaobo died in custody in July 2017 and Liu Xia was only released from house arrest last year.’
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Mat Collishaw Single Nights, 2007 ‘Teenaged single mothers photographed with their babies in the style of Georges de la Tour.’
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Keith Edmier Beverly & Keith Edmier, 1967 Cast urethane resin and acrylic resin, silicone, acrylic paint, silk, wool, and Lycra fabric, cast silver buttons, nylon tights
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p.s. Hey. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi. The link didn’t work, but I think I can guess what was at the other end. Thanks. ** Probably, male, Hi. Oh, I see. I guess I’m kind of the opposite? Hm. Let me try to find a pdf of ‘My Loose Thread’. I’ll email it to you if I can find it. Surely I have something like that somewhere. Historically, dark ambient-wise, I like Coil, Nurse with Wound, Popol Vuh, Lustmord, … These days, does Sunn0))) count? Burial, Merzbow, Demdike Stare, and I’m sure a bunch of others. What about you? Lovely day -> night to you. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi. Thanks for thanking Hobart. Oh, Arnold, I don’t know. I find him really charming, and I like him in movies. I disliked him a lot when he was governor of California, but now that he’s virulently anti-Far Right/Trump, I like him a lot more. But, yeah, fascinating guy, that’s for sure. ** Dee Kilroy, Cool. Hobart did good. Nice about the spiders. That’s interesting, yes, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a really colourful, imposing spider here in France. The ‘house’ ones tend to be itsy-bitsy, and, it’s true, kind of gruff and dingy on a very small scale. I’ve never even seen a daddy long legs, which, coming from SoCal where it seems like every bathroom has one ensconced, is very odd. ** Dominik, Hi!!! I’m sure Hobart is smiling. Thanks, yeah, we’ll make it happen with the film whatever it takes, but, yeah, it sure would be nice if the people in charge weren’t dead weight, at best, and a destructive force, at worst. I just looked at my nails, and, yeah, they’re not really pristine, ha ha. But … but … if life was like a Hallmark movie, wouldn’t SCAB and my stuff kind of like … disappear? Or … get us arrested? But, hm, maybe that would be refreshing? Love leaving a newborn baby at your front door and wondering what you would do with it, G. ** Steve Erickson, Very, very nice about the Currents lineup. Dennis Lim is such a great guy and chooser. I’ll watch that Geller video, thank you, as I imagine Hobart will too if they haven’t already. Ah, okay, yeah, then Butler’s reservations make sense. We won’t be able to complete all of that in time for sure, but the goal is to accomplish enough of that to make the unfinished film sufficiently charismatic, I guess. ** Damien Ark, Hi, D. Enjoy Portland. Sure, I’m way down for a post for your book. There’s a chance I’ll be in LA for Halloween in late October and the blog would be on vacation if so, but, even if that’s the case, I’ll launch the post at the soonest opportunity thereafter. Thanks. I’d love a pdf, of course, thanks, man. And/or a physical copy naturally. No, I don’t know ‘Phasmaphobia’, but I’ll find it. I don’t think I can do VR, but here goes nothing. Have fun! ** Cody Goodnight, Hi. It’s very muggy here, but I’m ok otherwise. I have ‘played’ LSD Dream Simulator, and it is big fun. Happy that ‘Tago Mago’ worked its magic on you. ‘Ritual in Transfigured Time’ is one of my favorite films. Cool. Right, they still make ‘Saw’ movies, don’t they? Jeez. And an excellent day to you, sir. ** Bill, Glad you liked it. I tried ‘Sisyphus’. It’s kind of hilarious. Hacker space, ooh, yes, ask. Oops, I’ll see of I can fix that link. Weird. You’re still away, right? What are you doing? What have been some highlights? ** Gray_gary, Hi. Your comment was a beauty, and I’m wondering how you did that. Can you believe I’ve never played Minecraft? Fucking weird. You good, gooder than good? ** Darbyy🐎, You’re back! Hey! Obviously I’d love for you to draw me a picture. Hm, body horror-ish. Okay, I’ll find something and I guess email it to you? Thank you, wow! God, people like the people you describe are the fucking absolute lowest of the fucking lows. Disgusting. Fuck them, and I’m so sorry they’re in your realm. ** Okay. Today you get an entirely self-explanatory post. See you tomorrow.
‘How can computer games be abstract and without points of identification, and yet be interesting? – No matter how variable or even absent the protagonist in computer games, the player is always constant. The reader/ viewer need an emotional motivation for investing energy in the movie or book; we need a human actant to identify with. This is probably also true for the computer game, only this actant is always present – it is the player. The player is motivated to invest energy in the game because the game evaluates the player’s performance. And this is why a game can be much more abstract than a movie or a novel, because games involve the player in a direct way.
‘This discrepancy raises many issues. In a game, the player works to reach a goal. The thing is then that this goal has to mimic the player’s situation. It seems, for example, that a game cannot have the goal that the player should work hard to throw the protagonist under a train. As a player, the goal has to be one that you would conceivably want to work for.
‘Jean-Luc Godard’s Pierrot le fou would serve as an example of a movie where it is hard to construct a coherent story due to numerous temporal skips and distanciations such as the actor’s addressing the camera. This foregrounding of the discourse has a sense of immediacy that would make it ripe for a game adaptation – if only we could figure what the game should be about. And during the creation of Naked Lunch, William Burroughs writes the follow explanation to Allen Ginsberg: “[…] the usual novel has happened. This novel is happening.”
‘It may be obvious that the more open a narrative is to interpretation, the more emphasis will be on the reader/ viewer’s efforts now. The difference between the now in narratives and the now in games is that first now concerns the situation where the reader’s effort in interpreting obscures the story – the text becomes all discourse, and consequently the temporal tensions ease. The now of the game means that story time converge with playing time, without the story/game world disappearing.
‘Games rely on having goals that can be deciphered by the player and something obstructing the player’s possibility of reaching the goals. Narratives are basically interpretative, whereas games are formal. Or, in cybertextual terms, stories have an interpretative dominant, whereas games have a configurative dominant. While readers and viewers are clearly more active than some theories have previously assumed, they are active in a different way.
‘The idea of using experimental narratives to answer the opening question suffers from the problem that the very emphasis on interpretation and ontological instability that would make the narrative more immediate and thus closer to the game, in itself would make a game unplayable.’ — Jesper Juul
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Compress Process
‘For most of us, video game glitches are a nuisance–they’re visual hiccups that rattle the rhythm of the game and disrupt our immersion in the experience. But for Rosa Menkman, they’re the best part. The Dutch artist, currently pursuing a PhD in digital artifacts, revels in all things glitch, from overly compressed video files to unforeseen synthesized sounds. Her latest project, Compress Process, reverses the conventional relationship between game and glitch: It’s a surreal videoscape in which the only object is to mess things up as best and as beautifully as you can. The experience has the basic trappings of a video game–you can even “jump” by hitting the spacebar–but players will quickly find that that there’s not really anything to do in this game world, and there’s not really all that much to explore, either. Adding to the confusion, each movement you make smears and stretches the game environment, making it hard to lock down any sort of perspective or sense of space. And that’s basically the gist of it: You tool around aimlessly, taking note of how your movements shape the mesmerizingly weird visuals. Menkman supplies the disembodied head, you provide a little motion, and glitches abound.’ — Fast Co Design
[[Videoscapes :: Xilitla]]
I might, in the end, be no more than a reflection of your imagination
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Painstation
‘The concept of Painstation is simple. Two players eyeball each other over a table console. The left-hand is positioned on a sensor field — otherwise know as a PEU, or Pain Execution Unit. When both players have made this electric contact, the game, and the real fun, commences. The game itself is based on the first-generation PC game known as Pong, or bar tennis, and is followed by both players through a graphics display in the center of the table. The player’s right hand controls the bat, and the object of the game is to keep the ball in play as long as possible. In the original PC game, missing the ball resulted in nothing worse than a moment’s frustration and perhaps a well-chosen expletive. In this revamped version, missing the ball is not only annoying, it is also very painful. Randomly arranged along both sides of the playing field are Pain Inflictor Symbols, each representing a different sort of pain. Depending where the ball hits, the player will feel sensations such as heat, punches, lashings by a wire whip, and electroshocks of varying duration delivered through the PEU. The game ends only when one of the players decides that the pain is too much to bear and lifts a hand off the PEU.’ — collaged
painstation
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Memory of a Broken Dimension
‘Video games are known to have some in-game glitches, and sometimes they’re even celebrated for them. But while most of the time it’s an error that players stumble upon, a new game called Memory of a Broken Dimension by xra uses glitches as part of the game’s aesthetic. It uses the FPS perspective to drive the narrative as you solve puzzles and explore an experimental environment. From the trailer it looks like it could be quite a baffling experience, as you wander around the monochrome world, struggling through its broken lands. The game is still in the early stages of development and details are scarce.’ — The Creators Project
Memory of a Broken Dimension SOWN2012 Dev video
memory of a broken dimension – walkthrough
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SCP-087
‘SCP-087 is a stairwell that doesn’t end. All those who go down these stairs can hear a crying child roughly 200 metres down, which seems to get lower at the same speed as the person descending. As they descend further, a creature, currently known as SCP-087-1, stalks them down, usually coming from in front of the person, but sometimes behind them. SCP-087 features procedural generation of floors and events, so every playthrough is different.’ — collaged
SCP-087
SCP-087: 160 FLOORS COMPLETE WITH ENDING
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Self-Destruction
‘Self Destruction by Frank Force is a game about being trapped in a time travel loop and needing to kill all previous versions of yourself to progress. Each wave you’re actions from all previous waves are layered on top of each other but instead of helping you, they are the enemies that you need to kill. For this prototype I tried to keep it as simple as possible and focus on the fundamentals. It turned out to be a cool little experiment. The gameplay does concern me though, because it is so weird. I tried to add some balance factors like subtracting off a point each second to encourage faster play. I like how being able to destroy other bullets encourages the player to shoot more, which further dooms them.’ — Frank Force
Self Destruction – Rapid Prototype
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The Path
‘The Path is a short horror game inspired by older versions of Little Red Ridinghood, set in modern day. Created by innovative game designers Tale of Tales, The Path offers an atmospheric experience of exploration, discovery and introspection through a unique form of gameplay, designed to immerse you deeply into its dark themes. Every interaction in the game expresses an aspect of the narrative. The six protagonists each have their own age and personality and allow the player to live through the tale in different ways. Most of the story, however, relies on your active imagination. Six sisters live in an apartment in the city. One by one their mother sends them on an errand to their grandmother, who is sick and bedridden. The teenagers are instructed to go to grandmother’s house deep in the forest and, by all means, to stay on the path! Wolves are hiding in the woods, just waiting for little girls to stray.’ — collaged
The Path – Gameplay
The Path: Rose Ending (Failure)
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Elegy for a Dead World
‘Developed by Dejobaan and Popcannibal, Elegy for a Dead World is a game that asks the player to be a writer. “I don’t think people realize how big of an ask that is,” said Ziba Scott of Popcannibal, going on to discuss the personal constraints we put on ourselves when it comes to writing and the way Elegy for a Dead World aims to encourage fearless creativity. According to Scott, there is no game to be “played” in Elegy of a Dead World. Instead, the player is plunged into three worlds, inspired by British romantics like Shelley, Keats and Byron. During their side-scrolling exploration of these fallen civilizations, players take notes in whatever form or style they wish, which are published onto the Steam Workshop for others to read. They can also read the notes, prose and poetry that other players have drawn from the same worlds. It’s a collaborative, exploratory and poetic writing experiment.’ — collaged
Elegy for a Dead World: Teaser Trailer
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Glitchspace
‘Glitchspace is a first person programming game that’s centred around a visual programming mechanic. Set in a cyberspace world, you are trying to find a place known as Glitchspace – a by-product of cyberspace and its various glitches. A world that would allow for infinite possibilities, and access across all systems in cyberspace through exploitation. Through problem solving, it’s up to you how you approach the in-game challenges; find glitches in the cyberspace world, and exploit them in various different ways, allowing for a emergent play experience.’ — collaged
Glitchspace Walkthrough [1080p]
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Vapour 2
‘Skobbejakgames is a small game development team from Johannesburg, creating the most scary game ever in history, Vapour. We are a 2 man (Tiaan Gerber and Alexander Ehlers) indie game development team that are set out to raise the bar with each successive project. Just be wary of two things if you’re going to watch the video. The first is that it’s NSFW, as it contains gore, language and partial nudity. Secondly, if you’re willing to proceed, keep in mind that the footage is from a game that is, according to Skobbejak Games, still in its pre-Alpha stage. It looks really good being so early in development.’ — collaged
Vapour 2 Trailer
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Luxuria Superbia
Luxuria Superbia is a prototype of a video game in progress by Tale of Tales. A vessel speeds through the veins of a plant and arouses the plant by touching the sensitive zones on the walls. An eventual climax gives us entrance to the multiple locks of the cosmos. Walter Hus in association with Brecht Ameel and Maarten Huysmans developed a musical system wherein a multitude of loops are triggered by the movements and levels of the players and by the zones you’re traversing in the game. According to Tale of Tales co-designer Auriea Harvey, video games are no strangers to depictions of sex, but they often fail at portraying it in a meaningful way, either falling into the uncanny valley with awkwardly rendered physical representations of the act or cheapening the act itself by casting it as a “game,” where there is a “right” and a “wrong” way of doing it. Tale of Tales aimed to capture the essence of the erotic, rather than create a forward, soulless depiction like so many games before it.’ — Indie Statik
The Cosmos and the Cave 001
The Cosmos and the Cave 002
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Césure
Developed by indie designer Noctuelles, Césure is described as a “tiny pure exploration game inspired by the more experimental works of Aliceffekt and Increpare [Stephen Lavelle].” As such, there are no objectives, puzzles, or anything one could consider to be a game beyond the ability to wander around exploring a malevolent sculpture-thing. According to the developer’s Twitter, he “makes strange places and calls them games.” You may remember Stephen “Increpare” Lavelle for his seizure inducing abstract rave simulator Slave of God, which Césure bears something in common with. While Césure is more interactive modern art than a game, it’s pretty evocative modern art, so if you’re up for some moody psychedelic zen-like exploration.’ — eurogamer.net
Césure
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POP: Methodology Experiment 1
‘POP: Methodology Experiment 1 is a game purposefully built in way that explores a different approach to the typical game development pipelines. In this experiment developer Rob Lach wanted to explore the inspiration music tends to intrinsically instill in us. He accomplished this by creating the music first, and during the music creation process he would determine that the the game that will accompany the music would be the first idea that popped into his head. In some cases it came together nicely, in others not so much. Built Using: Visual Studio 2010, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Ableton Live. Built on top of: Monocle Engine. Teaser Music: Modeselektor – Grillwalker.’ — collaged
POP – Methodology Experiment 1 Teaser
playing POP: Methodology Experiment One
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Among the Sleep
‘Among the Sleep, an indie horror game, puts you into the booties of a two year old and presents a never-before-seen survival horror experience. The scary adventures of a defenseless baby wandering around an abandoned house, its dark attic and a surreal, but eerie Alice in Wonderland-like environment is truly unimaginable. Norwegian developers Krillbite Studios did a great job in bringing something innovative to this genre. The game’s scare levels is similar to games like Slender or Amnesia, but it’s more frightening because it presents horror through the eyes of a helpless toddler who’s only way of tackle is either to run away or hide behind an object to avoid getting spotted by a creepy strangers. The game focuses on object-interaction, which will help a toddler escape. You don’t have any access to weapons, so there’s a total survival horror games in our hands.’ — hub pages.com
Among the Sleep – Gameplay Teaser
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Polybius
‘The iconic legend of Polybius chronicles the mysterious appearance of a new, unheard of game in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon in 1981. Players claimed to experience amnesia, blackouts, seizures, headaches, nausea, night terrors, and there were even alleged reports of suicide. Some swore they saw a mysterious man in black collecting data from the machines. Some players stopped playing video games, while reportedly one became an antigaming activist. Eventually, the game vanished from arcades, though alleged photos of vintage cabinets appear on the internet from time to time, but no definitive proof of the game ever truly existing has ever surfaced—probably because the evil government covered its tracks. The supposed creator of Polybius is Ed Rotberg, and the company named in the urban legend is Sinneslöschen (German meaning “deletion/erasure of senses”), often named as either a secret government organization or a codename for Atari.’ — collaged
Polybius Gameplay – Cursed Arcade Game
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S for Sisyphus
‘In S for Sisyphus, the player is confronted with a cube, and is left with the choice of a single action in the game world: pushing the cube forward in an endless horizon, or else ending the game by taking the character’s life. The player has the choice to experience from four different perspectives: the Player, the Cube, the Other and the Anonymous God, as the action unfolds.’ — Ip Yuk-Yiu
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p.s. Hey. Today self-styled ‘fervent’ reader of DC’s Hobart LaRoche has gifted us with a post about two of my own personal favorite things: experimentalism and video games. I’m thrilled, I hope you’re lit-up at least. I’ve played a few of them since they arrived in the post, and they were pretty fucking cool. So, enjoy the show and please say hi or thanks or anything else to Hobart if you have the chance. And one more big thanks from me, Hobart. ** Charalampos, Hi. I don’t think watching films chronologically is boring, but I don’t think it’s necessary either. Cemeterie Montparnasse was nice. I couldn’t find the grave I wanted — Eric Rohmer — because their map is so shit. But I saw some dead greats’ concrete coverings. On Marguerite Duras’s grave there’s a big glass jar where people leave writing pens in honor of her. There were dozens and dozens of them. That was cool. Enjoy putting together your book! Vibes of a very positive nature from the almost dead center of Paris. ** Dee Kilroy, Hi. Oh, yeah, I seriously get that ‘Skinamarink’ is a thing you either fall into kind of helplessly or not. Part of my pleasure was seeing it on a giant screen in a big multiplex theater in LA and just being so astonished and inspired by the fact that a film so unconventional and so committed to itself had gotten a wide release. That gave me hope, and it also just happened to push buttons in me that I like. So I just surrendered. Oh, you have the opposite weather malady. Huge commiserations from a serious heat hater. I hope you’re somewhere where summer actually ends in August in the old fashioned way. We’re supposedly having our last miserable hot day today before the fall eats the sky, but we’ll see. ** Probably, male, Hi. Oh, sure, ‘Informers’ and ‘Jesus Son’ are great. I would mentioned them if my brain was working right. You’re amidst the hot weather too. It’s almost over though, no? Hopeful me. I had a girlfriend for a short time when I was a young teenager, and I had a girlfriend for more than a year in the early 80s when I decided or thought I was bi. She was great, the intimacy was very pleasurable, it’s just that something deeper and compelling was missing for me ultimately. How about you and girls/women? ** Bill, Sorry I missed you guys’ comments. I really have to remember to check back before I open the fresh comments. I had thought they were Japanese too. I would buy you a 3D gummy printer for Xmas if they were real. Well, I guess they probably are, but I’m pretty sure I couldn’t afford one, so … rain check? Serious question: Do you ever see a movie and wish it were longer? I partly ask because I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way. Don’t watch the new ‘Mission: Impossible’ unless it’s on your long plane flight. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi. For ‘Vitalina Varela’, it’s so dark and lushly beautiful and intricate visually that, yeah, you really need to see it in at least a mostly lightless room. Oh, I wish I could read ‘Gutter’. Dude, yes, let it be the spark that starts your short fiction shaped fire. ** Tosh Berman, It has since been confirmed to me by several knowledgeable folks that that is a pic of Breton. But no one knows if Bataille took it. I doubt it somehow. ** Dominik, Hi!!! The ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie is watchable for free on soap2day here if you want to fast forward to the train part. We really have to submit the film to those festivals, so we’ll just get it as far along before then as we can and hope the unfinished aspects don’t hurt our chances. No, things with the producer are at their absolute all-time worst, but thank you for asking, ha ha. I’ll let you know if I start to notice people being suddenly cured of diseases and things when I light up. Ouch. I bite my nails. Since I was a little kid. My parents failed to stop me. And I guess I’ve gotten pretty good at it since no one ever looks askance at my nails. Not my toenails, mind you. I do snip them. Love explaining to me why in the last six months or so there’s been a massive surge in the number of slaves whose biggest obsession is smelling other guys’ farts, G. ** Nick., Hi, Nick.! Wow, great to see you! I missed ya. That sounds kind of amazing and fascinating: your upheaval and consequent survival+. Share anything. Yeah, I’m still deep in getting the film ready and will be for the next months. But I’m very excited about it. Not a lot of anything else too major. I finished off a jar of cold sesame rice noodle that my pal Zac made for me not 6 days ago, so all is pretty okay on that need. So, yeah, what’s new, what’s going on, etc.? ** Steve Erickson, That’s good to know about kids, not that I have any around or would pop pills in their mouths even if I had the chance. I saw the installation version of the new Costa short at a museum. It was a large room full of screens, each of which showed a woman looking into the camera with a barely changing expression for a long time. I would suspect the film version has something else as well. It was beautiful. The next deadline after Rotterdam is Sundance on September 25. Zac doesn’t get back from being away until Thursday, so we won’t get much accomplished this week. Generally, we have more editing to do, we need a draft of the finished sound score from Puce Mary which isn’t finished yet, we need some special effects work although I’m doubting we’ll have time for that not to mention that our piece of shit producer hasn’t raised a single penny to support the post so we would need a huge favor even if there is time, we need color correction, and we need to fiddle with the sound a little as best we can before the actual sound mix/design, which will have to come later. Thanks for asking. I’ve never read SURVIVOR. Why did she hate it, do you know? ** Cody Goodnight, Hi, Cody. I’m ok. I have seen ‘Dr. Caligari’, ‘Nosferatu’ and ‘Metropoli’, I just spaced out. The cemetery was nice, but their map to the stars’ resting places was a confusing mess. Very nice about that Halloween cemetery makeover. Envy. You’ve never heard ‘ Tago Mago’? What did you think? It’s unpleasantly hot here, but I think I’m going to look about with a visiting friend anyway and see what happens. Happiest Wednesday! ** Minet, Hi! So far the post-production is just me and Zac because we have no money. We want to work with the sound guy who did our first two films because he’s a genius, so we’re trying to figure out how we can find money somewhere to pay him. Nice about the visit from your French emissary friend and his friend. Yes, you should be translated into French, of course! No, shit, sorry, I haven’t read your poem yet. The film work and the big mess all around it has just really ruined my ability to focus on other things. I’ll go re-find and read it ASAP. I’m so sorry to be so slow. If you’re as hard and obsessive a writer as you sound to be, and as I am, it’s possible to do a magazine and write too. I mean, this blog takes a lot of work, and I still do the writing and filmmaking I want to at the same time. You just have to find the rhythm. The magazine project sounds like a great idea. So I highly encourage you if it seems doable. Little Caesar was a giant amount of work because I did it all by myself, but I always loved doing it. And it did help create a kind of scene/ community, which was a huge boon. I’m doing a Mario Bava Day this weekend, speaking of gore, albeit Italian style. I’m not reading a lot right now, too much going on. I want to pronto. Thank you, pal. ** John Newton, Salut John! Oh, gosh, I like tons of French writers. They’ve been my writer gods since I was a kid, so there’d be a long list. My favorite is Maurice Blanchot. I don’t know the Bataille book about rats unless I’m spacing out. Huh. I’ve never been to a sex sauna/steam bath. Wait, once in my 20s. Not my thing. Public sex isn’t very interesting to me. Huh, I don’t believe I consciously put mediocracy/mediocrity as theme in my poems, but I haven’t written poems in such a long time that I honestly might not remember. But I’m going to think about my poems and that theme and see what happens now. Thanks for the insight and question. ** Armando, Hey, Yeah, your comment came in too late. and I never look back to see if comments came in late for no good reason. To start with, we’re submitting the film to Rotterdam, Sundance, and Berlin, and then we’ll see what if anything happens with them. The film was shot in Yucca Valley, and, more specifically, in this section of Yucca Valley called Flamingo Heights, which, I might add, has neither height nor flamingos. I totally get the dry periods. I sure get them. I’ve learned not to sweat them because the writing need/material always comes rushing back once it feels like it. LA always changes. I love that about it in the same way that I love how Paris never changes. Happy day to you, my friend. ** Right. Be with Hobart’s video game suggestions for the duration of your time here today please. Thank you. See you tomorrow.
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