Orson Welles plays Russian Roulette
May 26, 2009
Orson Welles is one of the most incredible and outrageous figures to ever stalk the halls of history, and among his many outstanding failures is an Orson Welles variety show. Welles thought people would enjoy watching him hang out with Kermit the Frog one minute and play Russian Roulette the next. Why doesn’t the world have celebrities like this man any longer?
The Tax Office
May 20, 2009
Many years ago, while an undergraduate at the University of Manitoba, I commandeered an art gallery on campus. Every year the student union would give the art gallery space over to a tax office, which would prepare student taxes in the area. The gallery was located in the student centre and had glass walls, so you would walk by and see all these accountants preparing taxes inside the gallery while the exhibitions were put on hold. One year I decided to declare this tax office itself a “found installation.” I affixed the following statement to the wall beside the door, where it remained for the duration of the “exhibit.” The whole thing was covered by The Manitoban (but in their joke issue, for some reason). Both my artistic statement and the article are below.
The Tax Office: Artistic Statement
The Tax Office challenges traditional demarcations between artistic, commercial, industrial, and personal space through its presentation of an actual tax office (conveniently located in an actual art gallery) as an artistic performance piece even as it asks the audience to consider the extent to which role is performed in a social setting. Also, by declaring the office workers to be a part of the piece without informing them or asking their consent, the artist calls into question the ethics of art in its appropriation and representation of subjects.
Life Imitates Art: A non-taxing exhibition
by Jennifer E. Lopes
The Manitoban 90.27, April 1-8, 2003
To prove that life imitates art, one doesn’t have to look any further than inside University Centre at the University of Manitoba, where one can find a refreshing, innovative and economical art exhibition — The Tax Office.
“When I was walking by the gallery the other day, I heard a whisper — ‘tax office’ — and I turned my head and sure enough, there’s a tax office in the gallery space. And I thought, if that’s not poetry, then what is?” said artist Jonathan Ball, referring to Gallery 138, a space generally reserved for Fine Art students exhibitions.
Blurring the lines between commercialization and art, Ball contends that the artwork is both a found installation and performance piece, as the office workers perform their day-to-day operations without interruption. “I didn’t want to interfere with the art as it was happening. I didn’t want to be an ‘artist’, like I actually went out and did something. I didn’t want to get permission [from the workers]; I didn’t want to even get the gallery’s permission — which I don’t have — I think it would really corrupt the piece.”
Calling into question the position of predetermined roles and perception, Ball extends his artistic vision even further, by declaring the ‘employees’ part of the piece without their consent, challenging the ethics of representation in art. “If you’re taking a picture of a bird, would you let the bird know that you’re taking a picture of him?” ask Ball, “Why would I let my subjects know that I’m taking a snapshot of their lives?”
Reception to the piece has been exceptional, with many students entering the installation to receive help filling out their tax forms. “Every time I pass by, there are students talking to workers, and sitting down with the employees going over papers and forms. The performances that take place within the walls of the gallery are exceptional, ” notes Ball.
The Tax Office will be on display until May 1 when tax season finishes.
Thomas Pynchon review
May 12, 2009
I posted a book review I wrote for the Calgary Herald, for the latest Thomas Pynchon novel. An outstanding book by a superhuman writer!
Obama standing up for comedy
May 10, 2009
Hey, Obama is funny! The president spoke at the White House Correspondents Dinner and was hilarious. Throughout the election, I must admit my comedy vote went to McCain, who consistently delivered more laughs on his TV appearances than Obama, who only seemed stiff when he was telling a joke. But now Obama’s got the comedy chops! Although he gets too serious at the very end…. Check out the videos below. Worth watching if only to hear Obama say “Whassup!”
Part 1:
Part 2:
Things about the Future I learned from watching Blade Runner
May 10, 2009
- In the future, Atari has cornered the home entertainment market, and Coca-Cola has won the cola wars.
- In the future, all consumer products are represented by a geisha.
- In the future, real snakes are astoundingly expensive, much more expensive than simulacrums of snakes created in world-class genetic laboratories. However, these perfectly simulated snakes are so cheap that even the average stripper can afford them, despite the fact that snakes are in such high demand.
- In the future, doves grow spontaneously out of the aether. They are also metaphors.
- In the future, whenever people get drunk they have visions of unicorns.
Stripmalling
May 1, 2009
Stumbled across the best book trailer I’ve ever seen. Did I mention I hate book trailers? But this one is great. Also, I’ve never been able to get Jason Christie’s i-Robot poems trailer to work, and hear it is great. If you like this trailer you can watch the full 4-part video (about 15 minutes total) on YouTube.
