Saturday, June 27, 2015

Hi-flying Saturday Random Ten



When the PBS Art:21 documentaries are released on DVD I make a point of checking them out of the library. I'm interested in the way various artists approach their practice. What are their particular preoccupations and how does that affect what they do?

This is from a profile of Trevor Paglen, an artist/photographer from Chicago who works out west. Actually this portion wasn't on the DVD so probably didn't air, either. But his work is interesting because he tracks things going into space, the defense technologies that monitor us and everyone else. Topical stuff, but my interest is more aesthetic than political. Assuming there's a difference.

Anyway, the Random Ten.


1. Fitz & the Tantrums - Fool's Gold
2. Amy Winehouse - You Sent Me Flying
3. The Beatles - Drive My Car
4. Lambert, Hendricks & Ross - Mr. PC
5. The Ramones - Makin' Monsters for My Friends
6. The Kinks - David Watts
7. St. Vincent - I Prefer Your Love
8. Lower Dens - I Am the Earth
9. David Bowie - Soul Love
10. Kendra Shank - L'Amour Est Bien Fort Que Nous

2 comments:

susan said...

We just watched the documentary of Banksy's 31 day NYC residency 'Better Out Than In'. One of the pieces he made was called 'The Banality of the Banality of Evil' based on Hannah Arendt's book about Adolph Eichmann. It seems to me Paglen relates to this understanding in a somewhat oblique fashion with his enigmatic images of distant buildings, planes and out of focus people.

Nice SR10 - the songs I recognize, anyway. It's good to see you're enjoying The Ramones.

Ben said...

I'd seen "The Banality of the Banality of Evil" before. The smartness of the piece continues to amaze me. Just in visual terms, the darkly dressed Nazi adds an accent to that white mountain in the background that's otherwise so easy to miss. While also making that mountain more ominous.=, in thematic terms.

I am, yeah. The early stuff especially, but Joey was a great singer.