Outsider’s Insights

The “Zeit” had a great article about an online magazine:
Tom Flynn berichtete im Online-Magazin “artnose” im Rahmen einer Satire zu den umstrittenen Nominierungen des Turner-Preises für zeitgenössische Kunst

[Quote] über einen Konzeptkünstler, der nach acht Monaten aus einem Erdloch aufgetaucht und gleich für den Turner Prize vorgeschlagen wird. Sein Name sei “Dick Tater”. [Quote]

Here’s today’s headline:

[Quote]
Old Master market hit by ‘bird flu’

By Artnose Science Correspondent
Dr Salmonella Pronkstilleven

January 30th 2003

‘Bird flu’, the mysterious SARS-like virus ravaging Asia, has struck the Old Master paintings market with potentially devastating consequences. Experts say hundreds of bird paintings have been infected with the disease, which could have a disastrous effect on the forthcoming Maastricht fine art fair where millions of dollars change hands each year for hideous pictures of wildfowl, domestic poultry and other avian species.

Masterpieces by painters such as Melchior Hondecoeter (1636-1695) – the so-called ‘Raphael of the Birds’ – and works by Luis Agassiz Fuertes have been particularly hard hit, forcing dealers to don surgical gloves and face masks when showing clients round their fashionable galleries.

Artnose visited one London dealer whose business has been savaged by the virus. We found him slumped over his Regency desk, surrounded by gilt-framed canvases, a small revolver lying nearby on a Huguenot silver tray. Sobbing into his Starbucks skinny latte, the besuited Old Master specialist choked back the tears and lamented the spread of the deadly disease. “Look at all this bootiful poultry,” he gasped, making an expansive gesture across a room full of paintings by Edgar Hunt.“Gone! Gone! It’s all worthless! BSE never did this to their bloody highland cattle pictures! Why me? I’m ruined!”

Over on the other side of town, a young Brit Art conceptualist stood outside the ICA shuddering with uncontrollable laughter. Pulling back the cowl of his black hooded gown and brandishing a scythe above his head, he bellowed, “Ha! Ha! Et in Arcadia Ego!”

The famous turkey painter Sir Bernard Matthews RA was unavailable for comment.

Dr Salmonella Pronkstilleven [Quote]

Check it out.

Edited on Jan 31st 2004, 15:04 by Outsider

I just saw “Shanghai Knights” on DVD. We have a very nice Store with a great choice of movies. They even got “Underworld” (American import or suchalike), John Woo’s “The Killer” (one of Chow Yun Fat’s best movies) and loads of other good movies - old and new alike.
Back to Jackie Chan:
[Spoilers] I was a bit disappointed by the last movies like The Medaillon or Shanghai Noon. Too many special effects in the first, too little Jackie-Chan-like action in the latter. They were okay, but not what his movies used to be. I thought he might have run out of good ideas or just has gotten too old. But “Shanghai Knights” was so funny! Great fights. Nice references to Chan’s idols Chaplin and Keaton and… And once again, he amazed me by using his complete environment for his movements and fights. E.g. oranges and little books. Especially his fights against a gang in London was incredible. He even did a little “I’m singing in the rain” improvisation during the fight. In the special features you can see a part of it in black-and-white without sounds. It surely is Charlie-Chaplin-style.
And the villains were tough and excellent fighters. It may have been the expectation game again, of course. Mine were quite low when I rented the movie. So it was easy to be pleasantly surprised. But still: one of the best Jackie Chan movies I’ve seen. In the Top three list, I guess. [/Spoilers]
If you want to skip the details: it’s worth watching.

Just sent out about 10 applications for plays, movies etc.
And I wonder, I wo-wo-wo-wo-wohonder
what will they say?

to be continued…

Well, another good party fucked up. The Vampire’s Dance used to be one of the best parties in town.
But it was no good to move to this location. There are many of the regular club guests who are obtrusive, stupid, aggressive and narrow-minded. Not everybody, but the club has it’s reputation. A very special reputation. And not without a reason. The “old” parties had this special flair of great ease and peace (Let everybody be like he wants to and suchalike). But now - as I said before - the party may be ruined. I might give it another try though.

Hey, it started snowing right now. How beautiful.

Tonight, me and K. will go to the Vampires’ Dance. It’s in a usually pretty shitty club, so I wonder how it will be. They have changed locations so often, I hope this one will be good and a bit more permament. It’s been ages since I went dancing the last time in this city.
Anyway, now it’s time to eat, then we’ll dress in black and look sinister/gloomy/cool/funny/sexy. Or just dark.

It seems my summer holiday (surfing included) is going to take place.
Got a new side job with flexible hours starting on Tuesday.
Hip-hip Hooray.

Oh, what sweet delight,
in the net at night
at home and astray
hooray hooray.

yes, i am back. one university support team had a pretty good manual how to get online. and it worked.
what’s the point? don’t be pissed off too soon!

Sometimes, I wonder why computers have to be difficult to understand. To support the computer-industry and support-hotlines? To give jobs to it-specialists? To make life more strenuous?
I wanted to get online with a modem today. It worked on K.’s pc without any problems.
But I just get the mistake 629. What the f…
So here I am, back at the university which is - lucky me - quite close.
And now the quest for the correct configuration starts.
May the force be with me.

we did it.
We found someone who played the missing part six (!) years ago. We startet rehearsals at 7 p.m., were finished in every way at 10 p.m. What followed was a not very peaceful night and a horrible wake-up call at 6.40 a.m. (I am not an early-morning-person.)
But the performance was great: about 100 kids (primary school and kindergarden) laughing and cheering.
And I had to give my first autograph. That was so funny.
Actually, it’s so nice to see kids really getting into a play. They grasp it easily and sort of join you on your way through the story in an extremely direct way. They have not yet build up inhibitions and have not internalized rules like “Be quiet during the play” or “Don’t try to talk to the actors”. So they can give you a lot as an actor. Although they almost conquered the stage at the end. Luckily, the teachers prevented mass-chaos.
Sooo, we finished the play, the school wants us back next year and
… that ends well

Edited on Jan 20th 2004, 14:22 by Outsider

Jesus…
we are to perform a 3-person-play tomorrow morning (for kids).
and guess what: one got so sick, she cannot act.
so now we have to change roles (i take her) and find someone doing my part in about 18 hours. including rehearsals and text-memorizing.
any volunteers?