Jay-Z – Empire State of Mind - Lyrics & Meaning

"Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn
Now I'm down in Tribeca
Right next to DeNiro
But I’ll be hood forever
I’m the new Sinatra
And since I made it here
I can make it anywhere
Yeah, they love me everywhere..."
RapGenius

The Grand Piano

"The Grand Piano is an experiment in collective autobiography by ten writers identified with the rise of Language poetry in San Francisco — Rae Armantrout, Steve Benson, Carla Harryman, Lyn Hejinian, Tom Mandel, Ted Pearson, Bob Perelman, Kit Robinson, Ron Silliman, and Barrett Watten. The eleventh pianist, Alan Bernheimer, takes the lead in organizing documentation for the books and for use on this website."
The Grand Piano

Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise (1980)

"60-minute portrait of visionary artist Sun Ra and his avant-garde jazz Arkestra filmed in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. in 1978 and 1980. One of jazz music's most entertaining and eccentric figures is profiled in Robert Mugge's hourlong, 1980 profile of the late bandleader-keyboardist-composer Sun Ra."
UbuWeb

Movie Posters of the Week: The Posters of Dziga Vertov

Poster for Dziga Vertov’s The Man with the Movie Camera by Vladimir and Georgii Stenberg.
"Some of the first movie posters that I ever took seriously, or seriously loved, were Soviet posters of the 1920s. Instantly arresting, intensely colorful and irresistibly dynamic, as well as being rendered more appealingly abstract because of their Cyrillic typography, the best of these posters, like those of the Stenberg Brothers and Alexander Rodchenko, are, it almost goes without saying, among the greatest works of 20th century graphic design."
MUBI

"I Want You" - Marvin Gaye

Wikipedia - "I Want You is the thirteenth studio album by American soul musician Marvin Gaye, released March 16, 1976, on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. ... The album has often been noted by critics for producer Leon Ware's exotic, low-key production and the erotic, sexual themes in his and Gaye's songwriting. The album's cover artwork adapts neo-mannerist artist Ernie Barnes's famous painting The Sugar Shack (1971)."
Wikipedia, W - I Want You (Marvin Gaye song), W - Ernie Barnes, Google - Ernie Barnes, amazon, YouTube - I Want You Live 1981, After The Dance (Live In Ostend, 1981), All The Way Around, Since I Had You Live

Rose Hobart (1936) - Joseph Cornell

Wikipedia - "Rose Hobart (1936) is a short, 19-minute experimental film created by the artist Joseph Cornell, who cut and re-edited the Hollywood film East of Borneo into one of America's most famous surrealist short films. Cornell was fascinated by the star of East of Borneo, an actress named Rose Hobart, and named his short film after her. The piece consists of snippets from East of Borneo combined with shots from a documentary of an eclipse."
Wikipedia, W - Rose Hobart, Film Preservation - Video

Romare Bearden

Wikipedia - "Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an African American artist and writer. He worked in several media including cartoons, oils, and collage."
Wikipedia, ROMARE BEARDEN FOUNDATION, NGA, Met Museum, Google, npr, YouTube - Romare Bearden's Southern Sensibility

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic

Wikipedia - "Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is a musical group founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980. The music of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is almost entirely instrumental, and incorporates many different musical elements; critic Rick Anderson writes, 'Very few bands have ever managed to straddle the worlds of modern classical music and rock as successfully as this one did.' In his liner notes for their Beat of the Mesozoic EP, Boston rock critic Eric Van dubbed them 'the world's hardest-rocking chamber music quartet.' Another memorable description came from Jim Sullivan of the Boston Globe: 'classical-punk-jazz-car-wreck music.'"
Wikipedia, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Cuneiform Records, YouTube - Transformation of Oz, Transformation of Oz (2), Peter Gunn, To a Random - Pt. I, To a Random - Pt. IIV, Encanti, Ptoccata

The Magician

Wikipedia - "The Magician, The Magus, or The Juggler (I) is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. In divination it is considered by some to succeed The Fool card, often numbered 0."
Wikipedia

Ear Meal with Carl Stone

"This is a recording of the live webcast on Feburary 24th, 2010 at the Collage Ensemble studios"
YouTube

Sergei Parajanov

Wikipedia - "He invented his own cinematic style, which was totally out of step with the guiding principles of socialist realism (the only sanctioned art style in the USSR). This, combined with his controversial lifestyle and behaviour, led Soviet cinema authorities to repeatedly persecute and imprison him and suppress his films."
Wikipedia, Sergei Parajanov Museum, BFI - Out of the shadows, Sergei Parajanov - Documentary [1/6], [2/6], [3/6], [4/6], [5/6], [6/6]

Sherry Turkle

Wikipedia - "Sherry Turkle is Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a sociologist. Born in New York City in 1948, she has focused her research on psychoanalysis and culture and on the psychology of people's relationship with technology, especially computer technology and computer addiction."
Wikipedia, MIT - Sherry Turkle, NYT, PBS, YouTube - Sherry Turkle: Say No! to Zuckerberg, Sherry Turkle: We Are Toast

Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys with Tommy Duncan and the McKinney Sisters - New San Antonio Rose

"This is an improved version of the movie clip. I love the shot of KFWB at the beginning. This was filmed in 1944 and features a hybrid version of the two hit versions. This has fiddle and steel, and multi-million selling record had neither. Tommy Duncan once told me that, 'The biggest selling record we ever had didn't have a lick of fiddle.' But Bob recorded it multiple times on film, audio and video."
YouTube

June 2008: Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys

Chinatown, Manhattan

Wikipedia - "Manhattan's Chinatown ... home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Manhattan's Chinatown is one of the oldest ethnic Chinese enclaves outside of Asia."
Wikipedia

Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti - Maya Deren (1985)

"Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (1985) is a black and white documentary film about dance and possession in Haitian vodou that was shot by experimental filmmaker Maya Deren between 1947 and 1954 and edited and completed by Deren's third husband Teiji Ito and his wife Cherel Winett Ito (1947-1999) in 1981, twenty years after Deren's death. Most of the film consists of images of dancing and bodies in motion during rituals in Rada and Petro services."
Wikipedia, YouTube - 1 of 6, 2 of 6, 3 of 6, 4 of 6, 6 of 6

Good Morning, Mr. Orwell

"Good Morning, Mr. Orwell was the first international satellite "installation" by Nam June Paik, a South Korean-born American artist often credited with inventing video art. It occurred on New Year's Day, 1984. The event, which Paik saw as a rebuttal to George Orwell's dystopian vision of 1984, linked WNET TV in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris live via satellite, as well as hooking up with broadcasters in Germany and South Korea."
Wikipedia, Good Morning Mr. Orwell: 1984 live TV experiment with Cage,Ginsberg,Dali,Paik,etc - Video

Big Map Blog

Map of the White Pass and Yukon Route, 1904
"I came across many of the maps you'll see on the Big Map Blog while doing research for a film I'm working on. While searching, I found thousands of old and beautiful maps that are sadly being kept from the public that deserves them – sometimes by clumsy or unwieldly government ftp sites, and other times by archives with steep fees for research, and steeper fees for reproduction. I felt strongly that something should be done about this."
Big Map Blog

Susan Philipsz, Lowlands, 2009

"We are standing beneath George V Bridge in Glasgow. Beyond us, two other bridges sweep over the Clyde: the mighty Caledonian railway bridge, bearing the trains grinding in and out of Central station, and Glasgow Bridge. Here at the water's edge, says artist Susan Philipsz, 'It's a little seedy.'"
Susan Philipsz: Lament for a drowned love, Wikipedia, YouTube

Looking at Music 3.0

"Looking at Music 3.0, the third in a series of exhibitions exploring the influence of music on contemporary art practices, focuses on New York in the 1980s and 1990s. In this dynamic period, imaginative forms of street art spread across the five boroughs, articulating the counter-culture tenor of the times. As the city transitioned from bankruptcy to solvency, graffiti, media, and performance artists took advantage of low rents and collaborated on ad hoc works shown in alternative spaces and underground clubs."
MoMA, MoMA: At the Crossroads of Art and Sound in the 1980s, MoMA: Listening to Art, MoMA: Nightclubbing, MoMA: Interactivity, MoMA: Looking at Hip-Hop 1.0, MoMA: A Monster-Like Force in the Transnational Lady-Made Movie Scene, MoMA: Riding the Trans-Europe Express, MoMA, WFMU - Video

Cast-iron architecture

Cast iron capitals, columns, and tracery, Borough Market. 1851, 1860s.
Wikipedia - "Cast-iron architecture is a form of architecture where cast iron plays a central role. It was a prominent style in the Industrial Revolution era when cast iron was relatively cheap and modern steel had not yet been developed."
Wikipedia, Google

Singular Visions

"At a time when images barrage us everywhere from our televisions to our mobile phones, the latest reinstallation of the Whitney’s permanent collection galleries invites visitors to slow down and experience art in a dramatic new way. Singular Visions presents twelve postwar highlights from the museum’s holdings, each in its own space, in order to create intimate and compelling encounters with a single work of art."
Whitney, NYT, NYMag

O. Winston Link

Steam Power
Wikipedia - "Ogle Winston Link (December 16, 1914 – January 30, 2001), known commonly as O. Winston Link, was an American photographer. He is best known for his black and white photography and sound recordings of the last days of steam locomotive railroading on the Norfolk & Western in the United States in the late 1950s."
Wikipedia, The Works of O. Winston Link, The O. Winston Link Collection, YouTube - O. Winston Link, and the N&W Railroad, Norfolk & Western

Killer's Kiss (1955) - Stanley Kubrick

Wikipedia - "The film revolves around Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith), a 29 year old welterweight New York boxer in the end of his career, and his relationship with a dancer and her violent employer. The drama begins with Davy in his apartment room, mentally preparing for a big fight against Kid Rodriguez. On the other side of the building, across the courtyard, he gazes upon Gloria Price (Irene Kane), an attractive taxi dancer, getting ready for work."
Wikipedia, Twenty Four Frames, YouTube

Vertical Features Remake (1978)

"Vertical Features Remake is a playful parody of avant-garde theorising in which academics argue about the life and work of Tulse Luper, Greenaway's best known fictional character. In their efforts to reconstruct one of Luper's early projects, the publically-funded Institute of Reclamation and Restoration (IRR) end up with four versions of the film."
UbuWeb, Vertical Features Remake, Wikipedia

The Clash - I'm So Bored with the USA

Wikipedia - "The Clash is the eponymous debut album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was originally released only in the United Kingdom on 8 April 1977 through CBS Records. It was re-released in the United States in 1979, dropping four tracks and adding five other tracks."
Wikipedia, W - Give 'Em Enough Rope, YouTube - White Riot, I'm So Bored with the USA, 1977, London's Burning, Hate and War, Capitol Radio / Janie Jones / What's My Name / Garageland, Police And Thieves, Clash City Rockers, Jail Guitar Doors, The Prisoner, White Man In Hammersmith Palais, I Fought The Law, Tommy Gun, Safe European Home, Bankrobber, English Civil War

Visual Velocity: The Work of Stan VanDerBeek

"Visual Velocity is a tribute to the pioneering work of Stan VanDerBeek. VanDerBeek was an experimental filmmaker, artist, animator, and media visionary. Produced by David Donnelly, the work originally aired on PBS stations on THE TERRITORY, the longest running public television showcase of independent film/video in the country."
Visual Velocity: The Work of Stan VanDerBeek - vimeo

Zones of a Non-Linear Discourse on the Red Seal - Robert Kelly

Hadrian's Library, Athens. James Robertson
"Non-linear because I want to draw you into the circle of reflection and consideration and trial and error of this process I’ve been working on for several months now."
Inside Bard

Lowell Fulson

Wikipedia - "Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921 – March 7, 1999) was a big-voiced blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. Fulson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recorded for business reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, Fulson was the most important figure in West Coast blues in the 1940s and 1950s."
Wikipedia, YouTube - Reconsider Baby, Tramp, Rock This Morning, Low Society, Lowell Fulson interview and performance 1970s

The Insolent Eye: Jarry in Art

William Kentridge. Ubu Tells the Truth, 1997
"Locks Gallery presents an immersive exhibition in homage to French author Alfred Jarry (1873-1907), on view April 1 through May 13, 2011. Contemporary artists Thomas Chimes, Rebecca Horn, and William Kentridge recreate the beguiling atmosphere of Jarry’s absurdist scenarios, with an historical prologue of artworks by Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, and Man Ray. The exhibition will include film, painting, installation, sculpture, and photography. "
Locks Gallery, (1), (2)

Al Green

"Al Green singing Tired Of Being Alone in Soul School"
YouTube - Tired Of Being Alone, Call Me, You Ought To Be With Me, Everything's Gonna Be Alright, How can you mend a broken heart, Love and Happiness, L-O-V-E, Sha La La, Belle, Livin' for you, Simply Beautiful {Live Acoustic}, I Love You, Take Me To the River, God blessed our love, Rev. Al Green - The Lord Will Make Away Somehow

July 2008: Wikipedia, Al Green

Original African Guitar Excellence - Zaiko & Ali Farka Toure

"African, congo, fun, ndombolo, soukous, rumba, africa, beyonce, afrobeat, werrason, werra, salsa, reggae, makossa, lingala, dance, koffi..."
YouTube

Venice Backstage. How does Venice work?

Venice, Bolognino Zaltieri, 1565
"Venice is not just a stage set. It is also a city with a resident population, which has productive activities, transportation and services. But how does the “Venice system” work? How do the tides in the lagoon behave? How are the canals formed? And the embankments? What’s under the buildings?"
Vimeo, Wikipedia

Famous Authors And Their Typewriters

Sylvia Plath
"There’s something magical about catching a glimpse of one of your favorite authors at work – even a photo of the epic event can send an anxious thrill down your spine, as if you might be able to see some hint of literary genius in posture or setting, in attire or facial expression. And it’s even better if they’re working on a typewriter."
Flavorwire

Cruel Sister (1970) - Pentangle

Wikipedia - "Cruel Sister was an album recorded in 1970 by folk-rock band Pentangle. It was the most folk-based of the albums recorded by the band, with all the tracks being versions of traditional songs. Whereas their previous album had been produced by Shel Talmy, and featured quite a heavily-produced, commercial sound, Cruel Sister was produced by Bill Leader, noted for his recordings of folk musicians."
Wikipedia, amazon, YouTube - A Maid That's Deep in Love - 1/6, When I Was in My Prime, Lord Franklin, Cruel Sister, Jack Orion - part 1, Jack Orion - part 2

Avigdor Arikha

Self Portrait. Collection of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Wikipedia - "Avigdor Arikha (April 28, 1929 – April 29, 2010) was a painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and art historian."
Wikipedia, "Avigdor Arikha obituary", Google