MetaFilter posts tagged with found

Willis Earl Beal

dng — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 18:05:15 -0800

Willis Earl Beal first found fame when one of his flyers advertising his availability as a potential boyfriend appeared on the cover of Found Magazine in 2007. Over the next couple of years, unemployed and living in his Grandmother's spare room, he recorded an album with cheap and sometimes homemade equipment on a broken karaoke tape machine, which (after a convoluted tale recounted in this article from last year) came to be released, first by Found Magazine themselves in a limited release of 200, and eventually by XL Recordings. Willis Earl Beal performing Evening's Kiss (which is very different from the extremely lo-fi album version) and Swing On Low (album version) on Later With Jools Holland in April 2012.

road trip to the American past

madamjujujive — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 19:06:00 -0800

motor life blog is Charlie Beesly's fun collection of (mostly) found photos celebrating cars and their owners. Don't miss the winsome training wheels post and the early Kodacolor collection. We've seen some of Charlie's other themed found photos here previously.

Ambition dies Hard

PinkMoose — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:59:09 -0800

Bill Bollinger was an important post minimalist sculpture in the late 1960s and early 1970s. One of a generation of people who changed what sculpture meant. His early work was noted for it's use of found and industrial materials. He became famous for the quote "I only do what it is necessary to do. There is no reason to use color, to polish, to bend, to weld, if it is not necessary to do so" This led to work made of cyclone fence, rope, or rubber pipe. His 1969 Graphite Piece, where one half of a room is filled with powdered graphite, and the other half of the room is empty, becomes a discussion of materiality, physical presence, and human impact on built space. He was part of two art shows that defined what this new post-material sculptures would look like. The 1968 9, at the Warehouse space of landmark dealer, Leo who represented among others, Johns, Rauschenberg, Lichtenstein, and Warhol. 9 was named after the number of artists in the show, and those artists included Giovanni Anselmo whose most famous sculpture makes you wait for lettuce to rot so a marble block can fall, Eva Hesse, who was known for early and innovative use of fiberglass, latex, and other forms of plastic; Stephen Kaltenbachwho moved between linguistic conceptualism and more industrial pieces ; Bruce Nauman, the early video, audio and neon innovator; Alan Saret, and his tenuous pieces in wire Richard Serra whose early work (pdf) shared the industrial materials with his later work but was on a much smaller scale, Keith Sonnier who was known for abstracted neon, and Gilberto Zorio fellow Artist Povera with Anselmo. He was also part of the famous exhibition Live in Your Head at the Kunsthalle Bern. A show that had 34 artists, which became a canon of process, conceptual, post-industrial, minimalist, language, and installation artists. In 1972--Bollinger departed from his more installation and found work to make a series of cast iron work, that shared an interest in abstraction. sharing some material and scale choices with Serra. Eventually he worked with a set of sculptures about water, that were expensive, and hard to sell. As the glitz of the 1980s replaced the slightly scruffy 1970s, his work became more and more difficult to sell and he was ignored. As interest in the 9 show developed including Marcia Garcia Torres' pamphlet on the 9 show, interest in Bollinger slowly increased. The first major step of Bollinger's critical reception was Wade Saunder's poetic and critical investigation of his work, published in the March, 1st issue of Art in America. Saunder's article begins with the heart breaking epigraph: "Richard Serra: There were a lot of good people in that show ("9 at Leo Castelli," December 1968). Nauman was in that show, there were a few interesting Italians in that show-- Chuck Close: Eva Hesse was in that show. Richard Serra: Eva Hesse was ill the show. There was a really talented guy--1 don't know what happened to him--Bill Bollinger. Chuck Close: Bollinger was very interesting. There were some beautiful Sonniers in that show, the best he ever did, I think. --New York City, Oct. 2, 1995, from The Portraits Speak: Chuck Close in Conversation with 27 of his Subjects (New York, A.R.T. Press, 1997) It took almost a decade, but that 2000 article has now resulted in a set of major career retrospectives, 40 years after Bollinger's death. The first, in February 2011, was at the Kunstmuseum Lichtenstein. (youtube video of the show, in German, but good images. This show moved to the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh, in November. The curator of that show Christiane Meyer-Stoll had a conversation with the curator of the Fruitmarket, Fiona Bradley. They also produced a major catalog. Here is the Scotsman's review of the show. Here is The Glasgow's Journal. Here is the visual Art Blog Distorted's review. That show is now at the Sculpture Center of Long Island. Here is the notice of the Sculpture Center. Here is an Art Info review. This retrospective might rework his reputation.

Haunted Air

billypilgrim — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:06:40 -0800

"The perishing of fabrics and the rotting of early rubber, due to chemical instabilities and damp conditions, create new and sinister, puzzling abnormalities. Time and repeated wear have caused a beautiful metamorphosis, never intended or imagined by the maker." Haunted Air: "A glimpse of how the old, weird America celebrated All-Hallows Eve."

Something Foul Is Afoot

The Whelk — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:27:35 -0800

Human foot washes up on beach near Vancouver for 11th time in four years Previously - The DNA matchup - previously again

The Artway Project

Bighappyfunhouse — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:20:20 -0800

The Artway Project - Alexander Artway photographer, adventurer - Throughout his life, Artway made photographs. He left an archive of over 5000 negatives and prints of Russia, New York, Philadelphia, and more - each one meticulously crafted and beautifully conceived. Most were made during the 1930's and range from iconic images of Manhattan to earthy illustrations of his Russian family working the land. New York 1930 -1938 - On the Deep Blue Sea - Russia 1927 - 1936 - Nudes (NSFW)

things

unliteral — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:26:56 -0800

"We have assembled objects in the form of a human figure, objects of all types that we found here each day and selected for their form and color, to obtain a familial nucleus that is the unity through which the individual forms itself and develops its ability to live and realize itself in the world." Artworks by Dario Tironi. via iGNANT

A place for everything and everything in its place.

crunchland — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:27:09 -0800

The Lost Thing animated, 15 mins. Nominated for and Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Based on a book by Shaun Tan. Official website.

Emilie, Lost and Found

Spinneret — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:46:14 -0800

On October 8, 2010, art student Emilie Gossiaux was struck by a semi-truck while riding her bike in Brooklyn. Left functionally blind, deaf, unable to communicate, and showing few signs of cognitive activity, Emilie was judged to be too mentally impaired to undergo rehabilitation. Then her boyfriend, Alan Lundgard, found a way to reach her. (You can see some of Emilie's art, created both before and after the accident, at her main page.)

"The moment they click that shutter, the magic is there. And that's what I look for."

filthy light thief — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:25:20 -0800

"When I look for images, I look for something that makes you almost uncomfortable in your own skin—something that makes you observe more intently," Foster says. "That's when I know I have something that's more than just a snapshot." John Foster is a graphic design and communications professional by day, and joined by his wife as collectors of "vernacular photographs" by night. Their collected photographs have been featured at art galleries and museums, and John has worked with others to curate outsider art shows. If that wasn't enough, his collections extend beyond found photos, as previsusly featured on the blue (and as inspiration for another post).

A House Worthy of the Name

KokuRyu — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:45:47 -0800

The Royal House I knew I had seen one of the pictures before somewhere before, and understood instantly what the surrounding pictures all had in common. A familiar symbol caught my eye, glinting gold. It was the mark of the Imperial House of Japan.

Finding Lyrics Everywhere

sgranade — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:19:11 -0800

The Gregory Brothers do it with YouTube videos (as seen previously on the blue). Gabriel Kahane and Sam Krahn did it with Craigslist. Phil Kline and Bryant Kong did it with Donald Rumsfeld. Making music from found lyrics is booming. Marchel Duchamp famously took found objects that weren't meant to be art and turned them into art, while John Cage and others took found sounds and incorporated them into music. Similarly, composers and musicians are taking classified ads, answers to interview questions, and other texts not meant to be art and setting them to music. Some examples, such as Kahane's Craigslistlieder, create humor from the incongruity of goofy texts set to serious music. Others, such as Ted Hearne's Katrina Ballads, provoke and comment on the original text. If you've an hour to spare, try this recent episode of New Sounds that covers these and other examples.

Paper shadows

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:37:03 -0800

Please enjoy one of collage artist Lewis Klahr's haptic, romantic meditations on materiality and mortality, False Aging, and a look at his process.

The Books, Annotated

carsonb — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:21:35 -0800

The Books is a collaboration between musicians and found sound archivers Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong. If you're not familiar with their music, allow me to recommend giving their newest album, The Way Out a listen over at NPR (where you can no longer stream the album in its entirety, but individual tracks are still available for your listening pleasure). Two videos are already available—the summer camp hit A Cold Freezin' Night and We Bought The Flood, which was 'directed' by archival image researcher Rich Remsberg. Since The Way Out's release Nick has been proceeding track by track through the album, explaining and annotating the techniques, instruments, and ideas used on each song—and resulting in a collage of thoughts as powerful and varied as The Books' collage of sound. Group Autogenics I - on reorganizing the sound library, what makes a good tape?, and autogenic training. IDKT - on sampling orchestras and the Hammond M-100 organ. I Didn't Know That - on cymbals, hi-hats, Hebrew stenography, and a new definition of the word 'funky'. A Cold Freezin' Night (and again) - on Home Alone 2, the Talkboy, dueling siblings, and how to make a rhythm generator using a 3" speaker, a plastic mirror, and a ballpoint pen (hear a sample). Beautiful People - on the twelfth root of two. I Am Who I AM - on the names of God, preacher rhythm, and IDM. Chain of Missing Links - on the age of Aquarius, the limitations of expression in science, and meditation. All You Need Is A Wall - on autism, hiking the Appalachian Trail, and using Nigel Godrich's guitar. Thirty Incoming (first half) (second half) - on answering machine tapes, thrift stores, Nick's dad, polyrhythm, and using drones to build sound. A Wonderful Phrase by Ghandi - a short interlude on Ghandi's voice. We Bought The Flood - on synesthesia, Rich Remsberg, the Liberty Bell, and album track order. The Story of Hip-Hop - on Hip Hop's origins (with the obligatory reciprocal link), Nigel's eBow, and Lymbyc Systym. Free Translator - on machine translation and The Purpose of The Books. Group Autogenics II - (tomorrow) Bonus tracks: An hour-long session from dublab studios, recorded November 2009 - A Collage Crystallization and A previous dublab session from a few years back - Found Sound

Spain 1840 – 1970

tellurian — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:45:00 -0800

A large gallery of contributed images from Spain including what looks to be an entertainer with a prosthetic nose and ear; a hand tinted baby in a bow and school photo; young tough guys and not so tough guys; plus old Semana Santa scenes, as posted previously. What makes this more interesting than just a found photos site is the history behind the pictures, so you might want to use the Babel Fish translator (quite why it translates it as 'Virtual museum of old woman photos', I'm not sure).

The Crazy World of andernestborgnineasdominic!

gcbv — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:25:47 -0800

A strange, cryptic compact disc was found while hiking in Joshua Tree National Park. Found by Swan Fungus, the music seems to be a interesting hybrid of Negativland, the voice manipulations of Aphex Twin, and drugged out psychedelic guitar jams, akin to Vibracathedral Orchestra.

I found some found photos

dersins — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:45:06 -0800

Stateside, Wild Youth, Motor Life, Roberta's World, Memento, and Sidewalks. Six collections of found vernacular photographs from reservatory.net. More found photos at Phoundfotographs, Accidental Mysteries, and Other People's Pictures. In the same vein as the better known (and previously posted) Shorpy and Square America.

Oh where, oh where has my nuclear weapons data gone? Oh where, oh where can it be?

the littlest brussels sprout — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:58:59 -0800

Ever wanted a visual tally of the computers, personal data, and other property lost by or stolen from the US federal government? Presenting the Government Lost & Found Map, via OhMyGov!.

Forgotten Bookmarks

milquetoast — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:33:46 -0800

Forgotten Bookmarks. "I work at a used and rare bookstore, and I buy books from people every day. These are the personal, funny, heartbreaking and weird things I find in those books. "

Bosch as background for scenes taken from Mayan codices and transformed into modern counterparts

filthy light thief — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:41:39 -0800

"Look at the surrealist moustache on the Mona Lisa. Just a silly joke? Consider where this joke can lead. I had been working with Malcolm Mc Neill for five years on an illustrated book entitled Ah Pook Is Here, and we used the same idea: Hieronymous Bosch as the background for scenes and characters taken from the Mayan codices and transformed into modern counterparts. That face in the Mayan Dresden Codex will be the barmaid in this scene, and we can use the Vulture God over here. Bosch, Michelangelo, Renoir, Monet, Picasso — steal anything in sight. You want a certain light on your scene? Lift it from Monet. You want a 1930s backdrop? Use Hopper." -- William S. Burroughs, Les Voleurs Malcolm Mc Neill had used Burroughs' words to create The Unspeakable Mr. Hart comic series, which ran in a British publication called Cyclops, starting in during my last semester of art school in 1970. Burroughs' contacted Mc Neill because Burroughs was impressed with how much the artwork for Mr. Hart resembled himself, though Mc Neill had never met Burroughs and didn't know much of the man. The two artists met, and began working on Ah Puch. Mc Neill was 23, Burroughs was 56, and their collaboration would extend 7 years. Burroughs produced about 60 pages of text, and Mc Neill had created more than a hundred pages of artwork. But due to the unique nature of the collaboration and the high costs of full color printing, no publisher was able or willing to print the work as intended. In 1979 Burroughs finally decided to publish the text by itself as Ah Pook Is Here And Other Texts, combined with the previously released The Book of Breeething and Electronic Revolution. William S. Burroughs read parts of the story live, which was made publicly available on a 4CD set in 1998. Burroughs also recorded some of his spoken word in studio, which was then edited and music backing provided by various artists on the Dead City Radio album in 1990. Philip Hunt, of STUDIOaka, used selections of Dead City Radio to create the short video A Pook Is Here in 1994, for which he won two awards. Malcom Mc Neill had a gallery show of The Lost Art of Ah Pook (previously), first at the Salomon Art Gallery in New York, from November 14, 2008 to January 17, 2009, then April 4 through May 2, 2009 at Track 16 in Santa Monica, CA. Mc Neill recently completed Observed While Falling, providing insight into the work behind Ah Pook Is Here and other collaborations with Burroughs.

That's no Moon. Or a McDonald's. WTF?

loquacious — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:54:31 -0800

At the mostly abandoned Moffett Field in an abandoned McDonald's, digital archeologists attempt to restore, recover and archive abandoned high resolution imagery and data from previous manned Moon missions, using an abandoned Ampex 2" tape drive found in a chicken coop - the last working machine in the world, restored by the last man alive capable of rebuilding the heads. This is likely only part of their weird story.

Break it down, Martin! Yo, I'm tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-try-try-try-try-tryin' to.

Ambrosia Voyeur — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:44:34 -0800

Cinemnesis, filmmaker Martin Arnold's 41 minute compilation of the films of his "compulsive repetition" trilogy, is available to you online. The quality is lacking, small details are missed, but I thought you'd enjoy these nonetheless. Time codes for the three pieces and more inside. "The cinema of Hollywood is a cinema of exclusion, reduction and denial, a cinema of repression. There is always something behind that which is being represented, which was not represented. And it is exactly that that is most interesting to consider." pièce touchée, 1989 passage á l'acte, 1993. Begins at about 15:15 Alone. Life Wastes Andy Hardy, 1998. Begins at about 26:40. Alone is, apparently, the one with the broadest appeal. Try it first if you don't like the beginning of pièce touchée. His new(er) installation work, Deanimated, is the screening of the The Invisible Ghost, a Bela Lugosi picture, with a flawless removal of selected characters throughout, lending it a perplexing and uproarious sense of haunted emptiness. He does not own a Tivo. I asked.

Now you must know and understand, O Best Beloved, that till that very week, and day, and hour, and minute, this 'satiable Elephant's Child had never seen a Crocodile

KokuRyu — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:22:22 -0800

Thrill-seekers swim with crocodiles in Australia Tourists who want to get cozy with a crocodile climb into a clear acrylic cage, dubbed "the cage of death," which is about 145 mm (5.7 inches) thick and 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) high, wearing just a pair of swimming goggles and a swimsuit. [Pictures] [YouTubery] "I can understand how this might be attractive to tourists but has anyone considered the welfare of the crocodile?" [More about saltwater crocodiles] The attraction is located at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, in Australia's Northern Territory. The cage has no bars, unlike cages used in shark dives, which prevents the reptiles from gripping on but deep teeth scratches are visible on the sides, deterring some hesitant participants. The cage is then slid along runners over four crocodile pens, carrying a maximum of two divers at a time, and partly immersed in the water so swimmers can see the crocodiles under the water but also come up to the surface for air. Via Meanwhile, freshwater crocodiles are encountering a "wave of death".

BIGFOOT FOUND ...a nice pair of boots.

loquacious — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:55:19 -0800

BIGFOOT FOUND.

How do you do! I am the little book that you have made.

anastasiav — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:30:17 -0800

Book of Short Stories :: Short stories written by New York State 5th graders in 1931. (Be sure to read the About page to get a sense of the setting of the times.) (via Thingamababy)