Thursday, December 29, 2011

BAD Disney Girls from Behind


At the WeHO Book Fair, Sept 30. Who be these beguiling wenches? Disgruntled inbetweeners? They dispersed before I could lock in a fix. But not before I snapped a couple pix.

A Flurry of Beacon Press


It's official! "Works by... Doug Harvey... complete the sizable presentation!!!" Chris Knight reviewed China Adams' The Loop Show in the LA Times, also noting that "Conceptual art in the 1960s partly proposed that enough objects already exist in the world, eliminating the need for artists to make more. Trash to the rescue. At the Beacon Arts Building, a wide-ranging exhibition titled The Loop Show seems to propose -- at least indirectly -- that the Conceptual dictum is now second nature to artists working with throwaways."

Kudos to the Institute for Figuring on the extensive praise Knight rightfully lavishes on their twin crocheted trash corral reef scultptures, which he declares "the tour de force that steals the show!" Watch for exciting new developments on the IFF front in the new year. Read the rest of Chris Knight's review here.


At the other end of the hygiene spectrum, Coagula demon Mat Gleason named Arataland! his Number 2 for 2011! We're Number 2! We're Number 2! Anyway, Mat kindly singled out the curatorial gesture of "bestowing the glory of a solo retrospective on an artist who was not of sufficient institutionally-approved status that would ordinarily warrant this career milestone" as worthy of note, which -- apart from grooving on Arata's oeuvre -- was the point for me.

Even though he missed the point on Chain Letter, I'd have to say Mat's own unbridled curatorial project in the BAB's Critics-as-Curators series Tel-Art-Phone was one of the most surprising and entertaining shows of the year. And I'm not just saying that because I was in it. Read the rest of Mat Gleason's Top 11 Art Shows of 2011 List here. Then use the money grandma sent you for Christmas to order a copy of the exquisite Arataland! catalog.

Images: Institute for Figuring, Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef 2011, DH Cryogenic Angel 2011 photo by Heather Stobo; BAB Director Renee Fox and Michael Arata at Arataland! photo by Mat Gleason (?)

More Proof of the Transmigration of Canine Souls


Behold! Here is Chloe, bedecked in a festive whippet-deconstructed reindeer oven mitt -- the very same in which greyhound Reyna posed a few years ago for her organization's holiday newsletter centerfold. Mere coincidence?

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Melancholia Rising

Whoa! Except I would have left all those gorgeous spoilers for the end, and started it cold as another dysfunctional Scandinavian family get-together potboiler. Because there's always a chance of some one watching it cold, and how mind-blowing would that be?


As usual with Mr. Von Trier's oeuvre, M.A. and I were practically the only ones laughing in the movie theater. And sobbing. And I peed my pants. But I mean, c'mon people. "It tastes like ashes!"?! Classic! Lighten up, for God's sake!


PS: The DougH on the Go! Reader who can identify the most Tarkovsky references wins a special prize. Email your entry to dghrvy@gmail.com.

Monday, December 26, 2011

The Order of Things


This old cast iron stove makes a fine support for our new-to-us flatscreen TV as we enjoy Fireplace For Your Home's famous old-fashioned, wood-burning fireplace and natural crackling yule log fireplace videos.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Santa & The Doodle-Li-Boop


Click here to see a video of the 78 record playing.

An early childhood obsession and subject of much early turnatablist experimentation ("Why don't you look in the closet??tesolc eht ni kool uoy t'nod yhWWhy don't you look in the closet??tesolc eht ni kool uoy t'nod yhWWhy don't you look in the closet??tesolc eht ni kool uoy t'nod yhWWhy don't you look in the closet??tesolc eht ni kool uoy t'nod yhW...") turns out to have been written by the founder of The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals (SINA), Alan Abel. There's a documentary on netflix/hulu about him, called "Abel Raises Cain" - you can also still get this and a few dozen other peculiar holiday recordings here:

Download Outsider XMAS Vol 1
Download Outsider XMAS Vol 2

Tracklists in Comments.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Conjuring the Purp


Don't look at the fat ass losers or freaks, look at my Street Art Portfolio! He's on for day 3 in Long Beach in 15 minutes, so I'm posting this sympathetic color magic talisman to bring the purple home.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Cryogenic Angel, Chapter One








The first 1 1/4 chapters of my new improvised experimental graphic collage novel "The Cryogenic Angel" are currently on view as part of "The LOOP Show" curated by China Adams at the Beacon Arts Building in Inglewood. The novel will ultimately consist of 64 50 X 30 inch collages, 16 chapters made up from 4 individual eruptions of cultural detritus, shifting orientation through 4 directions in a counterclockwise rotation. The first chapter is entitled "History Lessens" -- sorry about the lo-res images, I'll post some better ones when I get them; but to read the fine print you really have to see them in person.

The LOOP Show
Dec 3, 2011 – Jan 15, 2012
Beacon Arts Building
808 N. La Brea Avenue
North Inglewood, CA
90302

GALLERY HOURS
Thurs - Sat 1 - 6 PM
Sun 1 - 4 PM

HOLIDAY HOURS:
Dec 24 - Jan 5
By Appointment Only
To make an appointment:
gallery@beaconartsbuilding.com

Friday, December 16, 2011

Why Aren't I Blogging?


I don't know, but if I'm going to reinforce my ObComp fear of slipping into a downward spiral of diminishing annual post numbers, I need to post at least 22 new important bulletins in the next two weeks! The self-gauntlet is thrown! Let the posting begin! Q: What do you call a dead pink incense elephant atop a Thomas Kinkade spice rack? A: A start.