Saturday, May 29, 2010

Dennis Hopper

"Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Sat, May 29, 2010 -- 2:03 PM ET
-----
Dennis Hopper, Cinematic Iconoclast, Dies at 74

Dennis Hopper, whose portrayals of drug-addled, of
ten
deranged misfits in the landmark films "Easy Rider,"
"Apocalypse Now" and "Blue Velvet" drew on his early
out-of-control experiences as part of a new generation of
Hollywood rebel, died at his home in Venice, Calif., on
Saturday, according to reports. He was 74."

See comments for link to Terry Gross interview on Fresh Air.

[Screen grab from Easy Rider trailer.]

[Added later, from The New York Times ArtsBeat Blog, reprinted in its entirety:]


May 29, 2010, 2:56 pm
Dennis Hopper, Actor and Iconoclast, Dies
By The New York Times

3:19 p.m. | Updated

Dennis Hopper, whose portrayals of drug-addled, often deranged misfits in the landmark films “Easy Rider,” “Apocalypse Now” and “Blue Velvet” drew on his early out-of-control experiences as part of a new generation of Hollywood rebel, died at his home in Venice, Calif., on Saturday. He was 74.

According to the Times obituary written by Edward Wyatt, Mr. Hopper died from complications of prostate cancer. His death was first reported by Reuters.

Mr. Hopper, who said he stopped drinking and using drugs in the mid-1980s, followed that change with a tireless phase of his career in which he claimed to have turned down no parts. His credits include at least six films released in 2008 and at least 25 over the past 10 years.

Most recently, Mr. Hopper starred in the television series “Crash,” an adaptation of the Oscar-winning film of the same title. Produced for the Starz cable channel, the show had Mr. Hopper portraying a music producer unhinged by years of drug use. During a promotional tour last fall for that series, he fell ill; shortly thereafter, he began a new round of treatments for prostate cancer, which he said was first diagnosed a decade ago.

Inverting a famous line of dialogue spoken by Peter Fonda in “Easy Rider,” Manohla Dargis wrote of Mr. Hopper in The New York Times:

"Dennis Hopper — actor, filmmaker, photographer, art collector, world-class burnout, first-rate survivor — never blew it. Unlike the villains and freaks he has played over the decades — the psycho with the mommy complex in “Blue Velvet,” the mad bomber with the grudge in “Speed” — he has made it through the good, the bad and some spectacularly terrible times. He rode out the golden age of Hollywood by roaring into a new movie era with “Easy Rider.” He hung out with James Dean, played Elizabeth Taylor’s son, acted for Quentin Tarantino. He has been rich and infamous, lost and found, the next big thing, the last man standing."

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Cornfield

Transformer
1404 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-483-1102

Nancy Bannon | Cornfield


Through May 29

"... installation by Nancy Bannon that manifests a life-size, fabricated cornfield within Transformer's project space, inviting audiences to consider uses and preservation of natural resources. Cornfield is a visual work consisting of a wall-to-wall field of seven-foot tall, sculpted corn stalks made of painted wood, wire and visqueen, along with projections and a surrounding soundscape."

[Text and graphic from Transformer website. Cross-posted to Signal Fire.]

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Robben Island: A Greater Goal

Last night U.S. television sports channel ESPN premiered a short film on South Africa's Robben Island as part of its Outside The Lines series.* Through interviews and footage of the country's most infamous prison, 'home' to revolutionary opponents of apartheid, the documentary charts the relationship of the formation of a prison soccer association to the crafting of the 1996 South African constitution - one based on both the rule of law and the practice of justice.


Robben Island: A Greater Goal

RT: 18:37

WATCH

[* "The series examines topical issues off the playing field. It includes interviews and opinions from leading authorities on the issue at hand. Hosted by veteran journalist Bob Ley, Outside the Lines has investigated trends and topics ranging from sports teams' hazing to the overseas labor practices of U.S. sneaker companies." Cross-posted to Signal Fire.]

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Art Heist

"Priceless masterpieces stolen from Paris museum"

Actually make that price around $600,000,000.00.

more

[Graphic and headline from The Guardian.]

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Spoken Views in Reno

West Street Market
148 West Street
Reno

Spoken Views

"Come listen to some of Reno's best poets @ Spoken Views, the longest running Poetry Open Mic in town! Doors at 7 pm. Show at 8 pm. $3 before 8:30pm|$5 after to help support our out of town act Amir Rikkah on his regional tour! Come out see something amazing! These cats will make you love poetry if you don't already! All Ages As Always! be peace."

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Text and graphic from Facebook invite. Click on image to enlarge.]

SPace


Museum Africa‎
121 Bree Street
Johannesburg 2001
South Africa
011 833 5624‎

SPace – Currencies in Contemporary African Art

Berni Searle
Avant Car Guard
Godfried Donkor
Barthelemy Togue
Willem Boshoff
Kudzanai Chiurai
Collectif 212


"The concept SPace embodies two notions, space and pace, which signify sites/contexts and tempos/energies that are part of societal make up. Space is wherein ideas are negotiated and meaning produced through various human activities and social practices, while pace is speed, the rate at which change or advancement of such activities and practices take place in society."

Statement by Thembinkosi Goniwe and Melissa Mboweni, Curators

Through July 11 - the final day of the first World Cup to be held in Africa.

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Graphic from Museum website. Caption: "Berni Searle. 'Water's Edge II.' From the series 'Black Smoke Rising.' Archival pigment ink on photographic paper. 2008."]

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Tina Fey



Tina Fey
Born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey on May 18, 1970.

According to Wikipedia, she "was singled out as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008 by the Associated Press, who gave her their AP Entertainer of the Year award."

Happy 40th!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Data Stream Takes a Vacation

AS the staff of The Data Stream makes its way west to temporary headquarters, we'll be taking a brief vacation. Look for us after May 18. Thanks!

[Graphic from Google image search for 'vacation.']

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Saints and Sinners

Saints and Sinners Literary Festival *
New Orleans, Louisiana

Marigny Theatre
2240 St. Claude Avenue
New Orleans, LA

Brushup 10

by Jerry Rabushka
Directed by Michelle Embree, author of Man Stealing for Fat Girls & Hand Over Fist, the hit from SAS's 2008 playwriting contest

* The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival was founded in 2001 as a new initiative designed as an innovative way to reach the community with information about HIV/AIDS, particularly disseminating prevention messages via the writers, thinkers and spokes-people of the GLBT community. It was also formed to bring the GLBT literary community together to celebrate the literary arts.

Now in its eighth year, the Festival has grown into an internationally-recognized event that brings together a who’s who of GLBT publishers, writers and readers from throughout the United States and beyond. The Festival, held over 4 days each Spring, feature panel discussions and master classes around literary topics that provide a forum for authors, editors and publishers to talk about their work for the benefit of emerging writers and the enjoyment of fans of LGBT literature.

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Text and graphic from Festival and Theatre websites. Click on image to enlarge.]

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Mad World: Messages to the Future


Galeria De La Raza
2857 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110-4234
(415) 826-8009
May 8 - June 26
Mad World: Messages to the Future

a group exhibition seeking artistic Insight into the future

Opening Reception - Saturday, May 8th @ 7:30 p.m.

Featuring Jose Arenas, Carlos Castro, Emael, Chris Granillo, Erika Hannes, Hector Dio Mendoza, Johanna Poethig, Lady Reni, Joshua Short, Jose Antonio Suarez, Robert Trujillo, Christina Velazquez, Rio Yanez, and Marilyn Yu.

Work by artists’ that imagine the future in 40 years through a fictional history of objects. In considering work for the exhibition, artists’ were asked ponder the statement, ‘If you’re interested in the future, Invent it.” Responses range from both the artistic representation of objects 40 years from now, to witty and thoughtful statements about our cultural evolution. Through works such as future almanac entries, nomad friendly furniture and functional objects made from discarded material, the exhibition will display a unique imagining of what’s to come.

Last year, Galería organized an exhibition entitled Strange Hope in response to the ambivalent feelings of expectation and despair brought on by the inauguration of the Obama era and the simultaneous downfall of the economy. One year later, with the world in worse shape than ever before, we invited artists to think beyond the troubling times and instead summon a creative visioning of the future.

The exhibition paves the way for Galería’s 40th anniversary season. The exhibition will include an interactive component in which the public will be invited to share their thoughts, desires, and aspirations of Galería in 40 years. Entries will be included in a catalog as a ‘time capsule,’ which will then be preserved in Galería’s archive at the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives at UC Santa Barbara.

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Text from Galleria website. Special thanks to EH.]

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Le Grand Magasin

Collegium Hungaricum Berlin
Dorotheenstr. 12
10117 Berlin-Mitte
S+U: Friedrichstraße; Bus+Tram: Am Kupfergraben
t: +49 30 212 340-0
collegium [at] hungaricum.de



May 8
Le Grand Magasin


"Le Grand Magasin dedicated itself to the investigation of collective forms of production. This initiative not only facilitated cooperation between artists and European cooperatives, but for over a year also operated a model department store in Berlin, for goods manufactured by producer cooperatives. In conclusion, artists and curators introduce the results of the 2-year process and, with their invited guests, discuss the redefinition of the concept of work and artistic entrepreneurship."

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Text and graphic from Magasin website. Caption: "'Plane / Flugzeug.'Moulin Roty. Nantes, F."]

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Twisted Toys

The Exploratorium
Palace of Fine Arts
3601 Lyon Street
San Francisco

Saturday, May 8: Twisted Toys and Mechanical Mischief

Artist in residence Michael Brown and the Learning Studio hosting the first annual, invitation-only "Twisted Toys and Mechanical Mischief" workshop.

Twisted Toys is a "live" event: Exploratorium visitors will watch the creative projects unfold over the course of the day. In the spirit of Project Runway, we'll videotape the workshop and capture each artist describing their toy-inspired vision and process. Michael Brown will play the helpful host (à la Tim Gunn), interviewing artists and offering guidance with the toys' mechanisms, as well as other general assistance.

23 creative individuals will take part in a day-long process of reinvention and reinterpretation. Each participant will begin with one of 23 identical, battery-operated toys. They will spend the next six hours using their favorite tools, a handful of pre-chosen supplies, and all of their skills and imagination to transform their toy into something special. At the end of the day, we'll demonstrate how 23 people can remake the same object into a variety of creations.

The finished works will be displayed at Maker Faire, May 22 and 23, and return to the Exploratorium's Studio gallery through June.

[Text and graphic from FB Event Page.]

Saturday, May 01, 2010

2010 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Line-up - Sunday May 2

2010 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Sunday, May 2


* Van Morrison * The Neville Brothers * BB King * Irma Thomas * B.B. King * The Radiators * The Dead Weather * Maze feat. Frankie Beverly * Richie Havens * Clarence Carter * Juvenile & DJ Mannie Fresh * Wayne Shorter Quartet feat. Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and Danilo Perez * Tye Tribbett * Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars * The Radiators - Pre-War Blues * Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue * Ellis Marsalis * Clarence 'Frogman' Henry * DJ Captain Charles * The Davell Crawford Singers * Ruthie Foster * Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue * Luther Kent * Sherman Washington & the Zion Harmonizers * The Preservation Hallstar Revue * Mia Borders * Jimmy Johnson Band * Benny Grunch & the Bunch * Tribute to Juanita Brooks feat. Wanda Rouzan, Barbara Shorts, and Topsy Chapman * Big Chief Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias * Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra * John Rankin * Tim Laughlin * Don Vappie & the Creole Jazz Serenaders * Val & the Love Alive Fellowship Choir * Willie Tee * Warren Storm & Cypress * Feufollet * Reggie Hall & The Twilighters * Ernie Vincent & the Top Notes * Phillip Manuel * TBC Brass Band * Los Po-Boy-Citos * Dukes of Dixieland * Margie Perez * Keith Franks * Young Audiences presents Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue * Blodie's Jazz Jam * Nova NOLA feat. Sasha Masakowski * Jonno & Bayou DeVille * Kumbuka African Drum & Dance Collective * Some Like It Hot * Jo 'Cool' Davis * St. Joseph the Worker Choir * Franklin IV * Hazel & the Delta Ramblers * N'Kafu African Dance Ensemble * Wild Tchoupitoulas, Black Eagles and Wild Apaches Mardi Gras Indians * Morikeba Kouyate & Friends * Highsteppers Brass Band * Original Lady Buckjumpers and Original Prince of Wales Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs * Ven Pa' Ca * Zulu Male Ensemble * Golden Sioux and Apache Hunters Mardi Gras Hunters * O. Perry Walker Kuumba Players * Hobgoblin Hill Puppet Theater * Lady Rollers * Original CTC, and Nine Times Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Club * Morning Star Mass Choir * KIDsmART Performer Showcase


[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Information from Jazz Fest website. Graphic from Google image search for 'Wild Tchoupitoulas'.]