Do The Collage

December 18, 2007 12:31 AM

When he's not recording more songs than Bob Dylan, former Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard is busy creating collages, many of which can now be seen online in an exhibit from Studio Dante in New York City.

These and more will also be featured in a soon-to-be-released coffee table book entitled Town of Mirrors: The Reassembled Imagery of Robert Pollard.

posted by dhammond (17 comments total)

I laughed a couple of days ago when somebody at Pitchfork described Pollard as a 'reluctant songwriter.'
posted by Flashman at 1:41 AM on December 18, 2007

Yeah, what the hell is that about? Guy seems anything but reluctant... I think he's written some pretty good stuff, and I really liked his spirit. Haven't kept up with him so recently, though. I always thought he could use a little self-editing. Seems like he pretty much jots down and records everything that runs through his head! Still, ol' Pollard is cool, for sure. I like a lot of these collages too, even if they're not really groundbreaking, from an art-history point of view. Heck, I like what I like, dammit, and to hell with the art-history point of view!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:58 AM on December 18, 2007

I was going to give up on that gallery because I thought the first collages were pretty lackluster, but I'm glad I stuck with it becasue there are some great pieces there. I particularly liked these three works.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 2:48 AM on December 18, 2007

Let me just be the first to say it: Total exposure!
Hey, isn't that Chist-uf-uh from the Soprano's art gallery? Hunh. Maybe that's why it doesn't say when and how the Pollard exhibit will end.
posted by DenOfSizer at 3:30 AM on December 18, 2007

Pollard sure looks older than Dylan. Which makes me sad. But it wasn't that many years ago at all I watched Guided By Voices play a two and a half hour gig followed by a half-hour encore, so I guess he's still got plenty of life in him yet.
posted by Jimbob at 3:34 AM on December 18, 2007

And you'd think they'd have the show on Guided By Voices Day, at least in NYC, right? (It's my favorite holiday, we should have the day off from work.)
posted by DenOfSizer at 3:39 AM on December 18, 2007

The collages are likable.

Bravo Michael Imperioli -and his wife, Victoria- for creating a cool little jewel of a place, Studio Dante, which looks like it has interesting stuff going on simultaneously.
posted by nickyskye at 7:06 AM on December 18, 2007

Jimbob,

Guy was old (by pop/rawk music standards, even indie ones) before he got "famous." Sort of an inspiration to some of us rapidly geezerfying.
posted by hackly_fracture at 8:07 AM on December 18, 2007

Bob,

Like you better when you're drunk.

-smackwich
posted by smackwich at 8:09 AM on December 18, 2007

While I understand that Dylan is a prolific songwriter himself, the 'written more songs than Dylan'
(no matter who it's about) always sounds to me as though it's actually saying 'is more creative than Dylan' or 'is better than Dylan.' Which is silly, because Michael Bay has directed more movies than Terrence Malick.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:28 AM on December 18, 2007

Tobin Sprout of GBV is also an accomplished visual artist.
posted by 3.2.3 at 9:19 AM on December 18, 2007

Oh, so HE'S the Cut-Out Witch.
posted by jeremy b at 9:20 AM on December 18, 2007 [2 favorites]

December 9 (6-10pm -by invitation only) & December 10 (12-10pm open to the public, free of charge)

Did I misunderstand something, or was this a two-day exhibit that is now over?
posted by dubold at 11:38 AM on December 18, 2007

It would have been nice if one of the links actually led to some of his collages. I guess they are nowhere to be found on the Web. OK, OK, so there were one or two collages hidden in the background -- and on the book cover. (Am assuming that is all his work.) Anyone got a good link -- if it's even out there? Where the collages at?!
posted by Possum at 1:48 PM on December 18, 2007

Possum, click on the words "the exhibit," scroll to the bottom of the paragraph, and click "enter the exhibit."
posted by salvia at 3:29 PM on December 18, 2007

As a huge GBV fan, I've often tried to explain the music/phenomenon to the uninitiated. The best anecdote I can give is that, on the back of Universal Truths and Cycles (granted, not my favorite album but there are, as always, a few really great tunes) the listing for track lengths is given in mintues, seconds, and microseconds.
posted by bardic at 4:10 PM on December 18, 2007

Ahhh...I've waited too long to have you hide in the back of me see GBV on the blue again.

And yes, Pollard's better than Dylan. Easily.
posted by limeonaire at 8:53 PM on December 18, 2007