Saturday, October 16, 2004

Darren Waterston paintings at Kucera Gallery: Oct - Nov

DARREN WATERSTON


“[Waterston’s paintings] rearticulate the organic at its most fundamental, which may be the final frontier of visual as well as intellectual mystery…His paintings are epiphanies that make the devious universality of biological morphologies subtly evident.”

— Donald Kuspit, ARTFORUM

Beautiful abstract work of great visual depth and expression currently on display at the Greg Kucera Gallery 212 3rd Avenue South Seatte, WA
Oct. 14 - Nov. 27
SOMETHING TO REALLY NOT MISS IN PERSON. The link below and the photos really dont do this work justice.

http://www.gregkucera.com/waterston_paintings.htm

Friday, October 8, 2004

Supersilent / Rune Grammofon label - US Tour: Nov


One of the avant-jazz/electronic/new music worlds most exceptional record labels; Norway's Rune Grammofon is having a series of shows in the US. The most concentrated of these is taking pace in San Francisco from Nov 3-5 - coinciding with the San Francisco Jazz Festival. This three-day run of Rune artists performing features the mighty improv/jazz monolithic power of Supersilent appearing on their first US domestic tour. Other wonders include vocal whirlwind Maja Ratkje and Horn/Reed Maestro Arve Henriksen. There are dates in Chicago, NYC and Vancouver BC the following week, with Seattle not being included as the city between stops on this tour - so you can bet I am making the trip to San Francisco for this one!

LINK TO SUPERSILENT TOUR SITE


- San Francisco Jazz Festival
https://www.sfjazz.org/

http://www.northwestpassagefestival.com/bands.html

Wednesday, November 3
Maja Ratkje & Arve Henriksen
964 Natoma www.fieldeffects.com
964 Natoma (b/w 10th & 11th Sts)
tickets: TBD
showtime: 8pm
An evening of experimental improvised music in one of San Francisco's
most intimate and unique spaces.

Thursday, November 4
Jaga Jazzist & SUPERSILENT
Great American Music Hall
859 O'Farrell Street (b/w Polk & Larkin)
San Francisco, CA 94109
tickets: $20 PURCHASE
showtime: 8pm
The two preeminent improvising bands of Norway appear together for the
first time in the USA.

Friday, November 5
DJ Strangefruit,DJ Bjorn Torske & DJ Kent Horne
111 Minna Gallery www.111minnagallery.com
111 Minna Street (b/w 2nd St & New Montgomery)
tickets: TBD
showtime: 9pm
An all-night Norwegian dj blowout featuring the coolest of the cool from Oslo.

- Vancouver
Friday, November 5
SUPERSILENT
Dance Centre www.coastaljazz.ca

- Chicago
Saturday,November 6
SUPERSILENT
OpenEnd Gallery (presented by the Empty Bottle)
www.emptybottle.com

- New York
Monday, November 8
SUPERSILENT
Tonic www.tonic107.com
Washington, DC
Monday,November 8
Jaga Jazzist
Black Cat www.blackcatdc.com

Thursday, October 7, 2004

Park Chan-Wook new film "Old Boy"

OLD BOY


"As mannered as a hyper-violent manga, yet masterfully framed in the archetypal structure of a Greek tragedy, director Park Chan-Wook's "Old Boy" intoxicates its audience with the perilous, vindictive dance of a torturer and his victim ensnared in a crescendo of psychological visceral revenge."

Based on that synopsis from the British Film Council you would think this was going to be an over-the-top sensationalized Tarantino blunderfest, but instead you get something between the almost hilarious Takashi Miike-like ultraviolence and the unpredictable Alfred Hitchcock plot/moral turns & twists. Inventively shot and quite a surprise the first time through, its no wonder this film won the Jury Prize at Cannes.

(His previous film "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" is also an engaging anti-feelgood
film that is beautifully shot and involves one of the most amazing downward spirals
of life-events I have ever seen in a film... and a very excrutiating turture sequence
that was actually physically painful to watch.)

Not playing in any US cinemas as of yet, but Scarecrow Video here in Seattle has a Korean DVD for rental/purchase for those of you who made the wise investment in a All-Region player.